Historic Win for Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Qualifier

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Karachi, Pakistan (January 11): Omar Khalid has created a slice of golfing history by becoming the youngest winner of the National Amateur Championship of Pakistan.

A 16-year-old O-Level student who won the Boys Under-16 title at last year’s Faldo Series Pakistan Championship, Khalid fired a closing two-under-par 70 at the Karachi Golf Club to keep his pursuers comfortably at bay.

His four-round aggregate of four-over 292 was five shots ahead of runner-up Ralfay Raja.

Sir Nick Faldo said: “Congratulations to Omar on a fabulous performance. I look forward to meeting him when he competes in this year’s Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Laguna Lăng Cô in Vietnam.”

Lieutenant General Mian Hilal Hussain, President of the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF), said Khalid’s victory was a good sign for golf in Pakistan.

“The success of young Omar Khalid is proof that Pakistan’s golf is progressing and more and more youngsters are getting better at the game,” said Gen Hilal.

One stroke clear at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final day, Khalid was quickly into his stride in the final round, reeling off four birdies in the opening six holes and reaching the turn in five-under 31 to open up an unassailable eight-shot buffer at the top, enabling him to coast home.

Karachi-based Khalid said: “It’s great to win the National Championship. I had a dream final round. All the birdies in the initial holes took the pressure off me.”

Second-placed Raja and Umer Khokhar, the reigning Pakistan number one, praised Khalid.

Raja said: “You feel bad if you lose after playing badly. I played well but Omar was awesome. He played great golf and deserved to win. He is a youngster and I’m sure he has a very bright future.”

Khokhar, who had to settle for a share of sixth place, added: “He (Omar) didn’t give us a chance. He was too good.”

The previous youngest winner of Pakistan’s national amateur championship was Taimur Hassan Amin, who claimed the first of his titles at the age of 17. Amin, who is the current Chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), went on to win the National Amateur Championship of Pakistan on no fewer than 15 occasions.

Meanwhile, Rimsha Ijaz won the 54-hole ladies title at Karachi Golf Club while her sister, Parkha Ijaz, was third. It was a reversal of fortune from the 10th edition of the Faldo Series Pakistan Championship late last year when Parkha topped the standings in the Girls’ Under-21 category with Rimsha in second place.

The 2020-21 Faldo Series Asia season is supported by The R&A and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation.

As well as the Thailand events, qualifiers are planned in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam over the next five months, subject to prevailing conditions and circumstances. The 14th and 15th editions of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final are being planned at Vietnam’s Laguna Lăng Cô in November, 2021.

Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006. Today, 40 Faldo Series tournaments take place in 30-plus countries worldwide, touching more than 4,000 golfers each year. Past champions include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, both multiple Major winners, while recent LPGA Tour winners include Thidapa Suwannapura (2010 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Girls’ champion) and Nasa Hataoka (2016 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Girls’ champion), eighth in the Rolex Ranking as of late September.