Aiming High – The Life of A Teen Golf Prodigy, Mubariz Ahmad

Reported by Aqsa Kazmi and Hafsa Kazmi.

Gardener Dickinson said, “They say golf is like life, but don’t believe them. Golf is more complicated than that.”

Fiddling with a mere golf club since the age of eight, Mubariz Ahmad in just a span of six years time, succeeded in making himself the youngest winner of the “President of Pakistan Gold Medal Golf” in the year 2010. Not only has he left a remarkable impression within Pakistan but also amidst Asia, and in many other parts of the world where he has won against several formidable players, and performed outstandingly.

A confident, young fellow of only sixteen, Mubariz, who would usually spend countless hours of his life swinging the cricket bat around the field, was encouraged by his father to play golf along with him. Winning the title of “junior golf champion” in the year 2005 got him thoroughly involved in the sport. His parents, who at every stage of his life, kept supporting his decisions, are now serving as the greatest inspiration in his life.

He got his basic training of golf from Karachi Golf Club, Karsaz when not until in 2007, his father got posted to Islamabad. Later that year, Mubariz travelled to Lahore to be fundamentally mentored by a British coach, Daniel Hemingway, who was at Pakistan for a short visit. It was not long before he left for America to perk up his game alongside his education. He reminisces, “I would always miss my mom when I was abroad but she would tell me to put my emotions aside and tell me I was there to achieve something and that I should concentrate on golf.”

While in America, he played as the number 1 varsity player at Ames High School, Iowa, in the year 2009. As his game improved, his focus broadened. In 2010, he finished 8^th at the “British Junior” open out of a field consisting of 50 players. Moreover, he finished 10^th at the “World Junior Golf Championship” in Thailand. In the following year, Mubariz managed to procure the 7^th position at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Finale held in China. In addition to that, he proudly won the Faldo Series Pakistan Championship in the year 2011.

Having been Pakistan National Junior Champion for the past two years, his determination has never ceased. He has represented the Pakistan’s men golf team twice in Bangladesh and the Pakistan Junior Golf team four times internationally.

Managing to complete O’levels successfully, Mubariz gave his A-s level exams in the summer of 2012. Although he says it has not been easy keeping up with his grades together with golf but he has wielded it quite impressively.

On a number of occasions, Mubariz has made this country exceptionally proud of his uphill struggle and accomplishments. Just this Sunday, that is on the 7^th of July, he qualified for the Pakistan’s golf team. In about two months he will be representing Pakistan in the Sri Lankan National Golf Championship and later in October, he would again be a representative of Pakistan National Golf team in the World Team Golf Championship (Eisenhower Trophy) which will be held in Turkey.

Last but not the least, he advises the young golfers by saying, “Never give up. Try not to make the game complicated for yourself.” He has decided to pursue his career in golf and hopes to get a scholarship on the basis of his game in a known college abroad, possibly somewhere in the United States.

“Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, and some on golf courses.” – Adlai Stevenson. Wishing our young star the best of luck for his future, we hope you carry on making us as proud as you already have.  =)