23rd Inter-Club Golf Championship from Feb 9

The 23rd Grover Vineyards Inter- Club Golf Championship will be held at the scenic United Services Club here on February 9 and 10.

The two-day event will bring together players from four well-known golf clubs -- United Services (US), Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC), Willingdon Sports Club and Poona Club, the organisers told reporters here on Thursday.

BPGC are the defending champions and they would be keen to retain the title.

The Poona Golf Club have a strong team with some of the top amateurs in the country part of their mix.

Rohan Dholepatil, will be playing off a +2 handicap, the lowest seen in the tournament's history.

Also, top juniors like Aarya Gadekar, Vaishnaivi Naik and Pranav Mardikar are part of their team, led by Swastik Sirsikar.

The hosts US Club, led by Satpal Singh, have youngsters including Keshav Mishra and Trimann Saluja.

BPGC team comprises young golfers like Ahaan Nath, Virjeet Sandhu, Harsimran Sodhi, Tanmay Krishna and also experienced players in form of Amit Nigam, Ajay Patel, Parth Sanghrajka and Arjun Singh.

They are led by Kuldeep Sandhu.

For Willingdon Sports Club, all eyes would be on Krishna Kilachand, Khushaal Thakersey, skipper Akshay Kilachand, Ashish Goel, Jamshed Mehta, Riaz Batliwala and Karan Mohta.

Kapil Grover, chairman of Grover Zampa Vineyards, which is conducting the tournament, said this year the format will be 6 foursomes and 6 fourballs on the first day and 9 singles and 6 fourballs on the second day.

The organisers claimed that the revised format allows more points for the second day and will keep all teams in the fray.

"We are looking forward to win the tournament. But still it will be an open tournament. As the home team, we could have an edge (over others)," remarked Satpal Singh of the US Club.