The Pakistani golf scene is abuzz with excitement as the country’s leading players get set to take on the region’s rising talents in this week’s ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan.

Leading the local challenge is Pakistani number one Ahmad Baig, who is raring to showcase his talents on home soil as the Asian Development Tour (ADT) returns to his country after a six-year lapse.

Having earned his Asian Tour card with a fourth-place finish on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit in a standout season which included two wins, Baig appreciates the significance of the US$85,000 event which starts on Wednesday at the highly-rated Rumanza Golf & Country Club.

“The return of the ADT to Pakistan after six years is an exciting moment for everyone in the country. It’s a great source of pride for all Pakistani golfers to participate in this tournament and compete against international players. The excitement among players and spectators alike is at an all-time high,” said Baig, who won the first two iterations of the Rumanza Open before it became part of the ADT.

The last ADT event in Pakistan was the 2019 RAYA Pakistan Open at Defence Raya Golf & Country Club, where Baig finished T23 in his first year as a professional.

Braig credited the ADT for playing a crucial role in his development as a player over the last two years.

“Initially, like many other Pakistani players, I was competing locally. But then I decided to take a chance on the ADT, and I am incredibly grateful for the country exemption that allowed me to compete and achieve my dream of earning an Asian Tour card,” noted the 26-year-old from Lahore.

The tournament will be the first international tour event to be held at the highly-rated Rumanza course, a Sir Nick Faldo signature design that opened for play in early 2022. The golf course is part of a 1,000-acre, multi-faceted development in the city of Multan in Punjab province, and is the first name-designer layout in Pakistan.

Course designer and iconic golfer Sir Nick Faldo, pictured during the construction of the Rumanza Golf Course

Built to the most exacting specifications using Paspalum Platinum TE Grass, the 7,533-yard course boasts state-of-the-art irrigation and drainage systems to ensure prime playing conditions.

Links-like shaping and revetted EcoBunker sand traps create what Faldo describes as an “inland links-style golf course”. The six-time Major winner is confident that his design will test the field to the fullest.

“The course will provide a great challenge to the players’ all-round games as it is designed to challenge golfers of all abilities, including professionals. The shaping of the fairways and the placement of the hazards challenge the better players to put the ball in the right places.

“There is noticeable movement on the greens, but the surface areas are large enough to accommodate those movements. As with the fairways, it’s about being in the right places on the greens to give yourself the best birdie chances,” said Faldo.

The English legend shared some tips on how to tackle the golf course. “For me, it was always important to study the green contours and know exactly where and how severe the slopes are. That is the key to your approach shots; to either attack the flag and leave the best possible putt to read and make, or, if you have to be defensive, to leave yourself the best angle and opportunity to get up and down. It’s also important for club selection to know where you plan to land the ball, to intentionally make the ball release off a downslope, or stop the ball quicker using an upslope.”

The 132-player field is made up of 54 professionals from the ADT, 50 players from the Pakistan Golf Federation, and 28 invitees. Prominent players include Argentinian journeyman Miguel Carballo, who has one Asian Tour title and two ADT wins to his name, Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit who just missed out on a top-10 finish on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit, and his compatriot Poom Pattaropong, a top-three finisher in the ADT’s season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters in Malaysia.

Also in the field on a tournament invitation is Pakistani teen talent Saad Habib, who recently retained his Pakistan Junior Amateur Championship title at Rumanza with an impressive 13-under-par total.

Main picture: Pakistan’s leading golfer Ahmad Baig, who is raring to showcase his talents on home soil as the Asian Development Tour returns to his country after a six-year lapse.