Rehan Babar claims junior professional title at 11th JA Zaman Memorial Open Golf
Lahore: Rehan Babar emerged as junior professional title in the JA Zaman Memorial Open Golf Championship 2025 at Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course.
The Junior Professional Boys Championship concluded with a thrilling playoff after two players were tied at the top following two rounds. Rehan Babar of Gymkhana claimed the title with a birdie on the first playoff hole, defeating Muhammad Sahil of Peshawar Golf Club. Earlier,
Muhammad Sahil had played brilliantly, carding a 73 on Day 2 to tie for first place with a total score of 152. Rehan Babar also finished with a score of 152 (77 and 75). First-round leader Umar Shahzad secured third place with a total of 154 (75 and 79).
In the gross category, defending champion Parkha Ijaz, having started slowly with a round of 83, is now leading after a flawless second round of 71. In second place is the ever-improving Bushra Fatima.
She led after the first round with a 77 but couldn’t keep pace with Parkha in the second round, carding an 81. Aania Farooq is firmly in third place with rounds of 81 and 84, although she is currently seven strokes behind Bushra.
In the net category, Saqiba Batool, first time entree in WAGAR Category said: “Distance Difficulty exists in the mind only.” She holds first place with net scores of 75 (gross 92) and 72 (gross 89), giving her a comfortable lead over her rivals.
Parkha is in second place with net scores of 82 (gross 83) and 71 (gross 70), while Bushra is in third with 75 (gross 77) and 79 (gross 81). A key point to note is that in the final standings, a player can win either in the gross category or the net category, but not both.
The Senior Professional tournament also concluded. In a closely contested event, Muhammad Tariq led wire-to-wire, maintaining his lead from start to finish. Mr. Tariq posted rounds of 69 and 73. Irfan Mehmood finished second, just one stroke behind, with scores of 70 and 73. Three strokes further back was Muhammad Naseer, who secured third place with identical rounds of 73 on both days.
Expressing his satisfaction with the evolving shape of the tournament, Mr. Hamid Zaman, the driving force behind the championship, highlighted the encouraging participation from both junior and female golfers.
He noted that this year’s edition marks a meaningful step forward, expressing optimism for an even more inclusive and competitive tournament in the years to come. From April 10, the men’s professional category will kick off, with Ahmad Baig locking horns with Muhammad Shabbir Iqbal, along with a host of other potential challengers.
“The tournament has grown from a club event to an open national event with a total prize money of PKR 9.0 million. Over the years, the championship has been won by several of Pakistan’s finest professional golfers.
Muhammad Shabbir Iqbal, a golfing legend and the first professional winner of the tournament, remains a dominant name in the sport having clinched the 200th title of his storied career at the 42nd CAS Open Golf Championship in Jan 2023,” said tournament organizer Mr. Aahyan Mumtaz.
“The inclusion of the Ladies Amateur category in the JA Zaman Memorial Championship began in 2020, during the 7th edition, with just seven participants. From that modest start, the following year saw a remarkable surge in participation. By the 10th edition, the tournament had introduced the Ladies WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) category, marking a significant milestone,” he added.
“This year witnessed, history in the making, in an unprecedented move 21 ladies are participating in brave, 6000 yards distance, 54 holes over three days, competing for WAGR points.
The singular credit for the unprecedented increase in the number of lady golfers and the inclusion of the WAGR listing goes to Dr. Asma Shami, former Chairperson of ladies golf in Pakistan,” Mr. Aahyan Mumtaz commended.
