Dugasta Titans finish runners-up and The A-Team third at an innovative corporate golf event
By Nick Tarratt, Khaleej Times Guest Golf Writer
Petrochem Condors started the final day of the inaugural Ultimate Golf Challenge (UGC) in third place but a solid all round display by all members of the team on Wednesday saw them secure victory in emphatic fashion at the Emirates Golf Club.
The ten players, chosen from a pool of 14, won the 36-hole tournament supported by Charles Monat with a brilliant 112 points in the second round Matchplay for a winning total of 192 points.
The Condors, who are captained by Yogesh and Rohan Mehta, won by a clear 35 overall points from runners-up Shershaah Eagles (157).
The Tristar Gladiators led after day one played over the Faldo Course with golf carts and a Modified Stableford format. They were followed by Dugasta Titans (47 points) and Petrochem Condors (52 points).
There was all to play for in the second round as the big field took to the iconic Majlis Course, which had recently hosted some of the world’s best golfers including World No. 2 and eventual winner in the HERO Dubai Desert Classic, in a walking format.
In addition, there was a Matchplay element added to the Day 2 scoring with each of the ten nominated players competing in a Single Matchplay format against the other nine team members in other groups of their player team number.
The enhanced Matchplay element was pivotal in deciding the final results which went in favour of the Petrochem Condors.
Third place went to The A Team with 138 points.
Brandon D’Souza, Tournament Director of the 2024 Ultimate Golf Challenge, told Khaleej Time: “We have had a great first initiative of the Ultimate Golf Challenge at Emirates Golf Club.
“It is a new format to this part of the world and to most of the players – involving 140 players across 10 teams of 10 players each per day and just one Team champion. “We congratulate the Petrochem Condors for this win,” added De Souza. “We are sure that following a period of review we are confident that with player demand we will have further such events that are both bigger and better.”
The Ultimate Golf Challenge is an innovative, first-of-a-kind concept for golf in the UAE.
There were multiple Individual awards presented on both days while the Top Three teams were awarded UGC medals apart from the perennial trophy.
All the franchise-owned teams sported team uniforms and played under their chosen names.
In addition, each Captain had six players that the manager nominated with the other eight players decided at the manager’s gathering.
Petrochem Condors team comprised Ajay Bindroo, Antony Avinash Louis, Christopher Gould, Darryl Cox, David Waite, Irem Aksay, Jake Carney, Jignesh Sangani, Manoj Kapur, Nicsha Rodriguez, Oliver Ravenscroft, Rishi Chauhan Rohan Mehta and Shawn Staton
Results
(Scores of best eight from the Team of ten players + Matchplay element).
Top 3 finishers
1. Petrochem Condors 192.
Captains: Yogesh Mehta and Rohan Mehta
Vice Captain: Darryl Cox
2. Shershaah Eagles 157
Captains: Ajay Shah
Vice Captain: Vipen Sethi
3. The A Team 138.
Captains: Ayesha Chopra & Aman Chopra
Vice Captain: Vivek Chand
Others placings
Three Comma Masters 129., Tristar Gladiators 128, Moore Aces 114.5, Dugasta Titans 113, Alpha Ninjas 107, Sultans of Swing 103, Meteora Magicians 88.5.
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