National Amateur Golf Championship 2025: A defining moment for women’s golf in Pakistan

Champions are never made by chance; they are shaped through perseverance, discipline, and uncompromising standards. The 64th National Amateur Golf Championship 2025, held last week, will be remembered not only for crowning a champion but for solidifying a bold new direction in women’s golf in Pakistan.

In its most decisive reform to date, the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) has declared that all prizes at the national level will now be awarded on gross scores only. With this announcement, Pakistan has aligned its domestic game with the standards that govern elite golf worldwide. This is a bold shift from a stagnant past.

In women’s golf, this journey forward began three years ago. At the 2nd Ghazala Ansari Championship in 2022, gross prizes only were introduced for the first time. Later that year, the Ace Junior Golf League (AJGL) also embraced the same philosophy. Since October 2022, juniors across the country have been competing exclusively for gross scores. What started with juniors has now reached the highest level of the women’s game, making this championship a defining milestone.

“This is about preparing our golfers for international competition. Gross scoring reflects true ability, and only tougher benchmarks will produce tougher players,” a PGF official emphasised.

The impact of this decision was perfectly embodied in the performance of Dr. Aania Farooq, who captured the title with complete authority. Calm under pressure and consistent in execution, she finished seven strokes clear of the field with a score of 246, not just a personal triumph but a symbolic one, underscoring the very excellence that the PGF seeks to nurture.

The championship also revealed the promise of emerging talent. Thirteen-year-old Aleesa Rashid drew admiration by competing from the men’s white tees, a daunting distance of over 6,000 yards, and finishing seventh in a field of 18. Her resilience and composure stirred memories of the legendary Ghazala Ansari, whose name is tied to the reform that has reshaped women’s golf.

Another surprise came from Jessica Tassawar, who until recently was virtually unknown. After coaching under Col. Masood, she emerged onto the national scene, only losing her second place on a back count.

This year’s championship was set against the backdrop of a generational shift. Several leading players, including Humna Amjad, Ghazala Yasmeen, and Arooba Ali, turned professional earlier in 2025. While this was rightly hailed as a progressive step, opportunities for them have been scarce. With only three events played since February, their competitive sharpness risks fading in the absence of a structured domestic professional circuit.

Simultaneously, a large group of elite golfing girls has departed to pursue collegiate golf abroad: Parkha Ijaz, Rimsha Ijaz, Danyha Sayid, Abyiha Sayid, Iman Ali Shah, Bushra Fatima, and Laiba Ali Shah. Their absence, combined with the departure of professionals, has created a visible vacuum at home. However, PGF is determined that this void will not last. One decisive measure has already been identified, by removing net prizes World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) category events. To further develop ladies golf in the country it is suggested that selection for international representation be carried out through a transparent, merit-based system. This will add to the ultimate surge in the competitiveness and result in high standards.

The 64th National Amateur Golf Championship was therefore not just another event. The gross-only principle that began at the Ghazala Ansari Championship, and has been instilled in juniors through the AJGL, has now been carried to the pinnacle of women’s amateur competition. By reinforcing this policy, the PGF has made clear that convenience will no longer outweigh merit. Yet for this progress to endure, reforms must be matched by exposure to international play, and multi-round competitive opportunities for juniors like Aleesa Rashid, Sara Ameen, and Zoey Qureshi.

The journey will not be without difficulties. Scores may dip before they rise, and numbers may shrink before depth develops. But the true significance of this year’s championship lies in the standard now being set. By refusing to compromise on handicaps and by insisting on gross-only recognition, Pakistan has declared that its women golfers will henceforth be judged by the same yardsticks as the world’s best.

The 64th National Amateur Golf Championship 2025 was, therefore, about much more than crowning a champion. It was about declaring a future where standards are uncompromising, and where Pakistan’s women golfers rise to the call of the elite. For in golf, as the world knows, the elite are defined only by gross.