Mon, Feb 10, 2025 | Shaaban 11, 1446 | DXB ktweather icon0°C

UGC stars raise the bar as Tournament Director praises high-level play in Season 2

De Souza hails elite-level performances as UGC heads to Round 2 at Emirates Golf Club's Faldo Course

Published: Tue 4 Feb 2025, 6:40 PM

  • By
  • LeslieWilson Jr.

Top Stories

Ravi Khanna of the Noble Legacy Masters in action! at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Alongside Saket Kanoi, the duo finished strong in 4th place.. Photo Alex Leyno

Ravi Khanna of the Noble Legacy Masters in action! at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Alongside Saket Kanoi, the duo finished strong in 4th place.. Photo Alex Leyno

The Ultimate Golf Challenge (UGC) Season 2 kicked off in style at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, setting the stage for a fierce title race over the next two rounds.

The Noble Legacy Masters surged ahead with a commanding team total of 292 points, but with the action shifting to the Emirates Golf Club’s Faldo Course on Friday, February 3, the battle is far from settled.


Despite tricky conditions at the Creek, players came out firing. Shenal Patel and Sidney Desouza led the charge for Noble Legacy Masters, posting a combined 81 points—an early statement of intent. Defending champions Tristar Gladiators remain in contention with 277 points, while Sultans of Swing are close behind on 276.

Tournament Director Brandon de Souza was impressed with the scores, highlighting the level of play on opening day.

Noble Legacy Masters' Saket Kanoi(yellow), Naima Maya from Shershaah Eagles (white) and Arjun Khanna (black) of Tristar Gladiators. - Photo Alex Leyno

Noble Legacy Masters' Saket Kanoi(yellow), Naima Maya from Shershaah Eagles (white) and Arjun Khanna (black) of Tristar Gladiators. - Photo Alex Leyno

"Some of them were really good—81 points between two players is huge! The second-best score was 76, and we had three pairs reaching 75," he noted.

New Format, Bigger Stakes

Round 2 at the Faldo Course introduces a key tactical shift with a best-ball Stableford format. Each team will field five pairs, with four of them counting toward the team total, making every shot even more crucial. On top of that, handicap adjustments will shake things up.

"This event is a great equalizer," de Souza explained. "For Round 2, players who performed exceptionally well will have their handicaps trimmed. Anyone scoring 38 points loses a stroke, 39 means a two-stroke cut, and 40 or more gets a five-stroke adjustment. By the final round on February 13, the playing field will be even tighter."

Teams Ready for the Next Test

For Noble Legacy Masters, the challenge is staying ahead despite the stricter handicap structure. Team owner Achal Ghai welcomed the strong start but knows there’s still work to be done.

"It’s all about preparation and teamwork. We even brought in a coach for two pre-tournament clinics to get ready," he said. "Shenal and Sidney were outstanding, but this is a team effort. Everyone contributed, and we’ll need to keep pushing."

Meanwhile, Tristar Gladiators are focused on closing the gap, while Sultans of Swing, playing in memory of their late teammate Rohan Malhotra, have extra motivation to push for a big result.

Mukesh Kochar, co-owner of Tristar Gladiators, believes that experience will be key in Rounds 2 and 3 at the Emirates Golf Club’s Faldo and Majlis Courses, particularly the latter, which was recently set up for the HERO Dubai Desert Classic.

He admits it may present a difficult challenge but says: “Yes, it's a tougher layout designed for elite professionals. But it is what it is. It’s a tough course, no doubt, but that’s the challenge, and we will have to step up."

All to Play for in Round 2

With just two days to go, teams know the UGC title race is wide open. The Faldo Course presents its challenges, and with tighter handicaps, consistency and smart play will be key.

While Noble Legacy Masters leads the pack, anything can happen in this format. Expect another gripping day of golf on Friday—where every putt, chip, and drive could make the difference.

Round 1 Standings

Teams

1. Noble Legacy Masters 292

2. Tristar Gladiators 277

3. Sultans of Swing 276

4. Shershah Eagles 271

5. Meteora Magicians 271

6. The A team 269

7. Three Comma Masters 259

8. Desert Knights 258

9. Alpha Ninjas 255

10. The Brain & Performance Centre 229

Best Pairs

Shenal Patel + Sidney Desouza (Noble Legacy Masters) 81 points; 2. Najla Bartette + Prateek Pant (Shershaah Eagles) 76; 3. Avani Shah + Alireza Haji (Shershaah Eagles) 75; 4. Nicsha Rodriguez + Yana Jamieson (The Brain & Performance Centre) 75; 5. Saket Kanoi + Ravi Khanna (Noble Legacy Masters) 75; 6. Suryaveer Singh + Pranav Rai (Sultans of Swing) 74; 7. Obediah Ayton + Candice Wang (Tristar Gladiators) 74; 8. Monica Palao + Arvind Kittur (Three Comma Masters) 73; 9. Vikas Sachar + Aamir Inam (Meteora Magicians) 73; 10. Russel Yeomans + Xin He (Meteora Magicians) 73.

ALSO READ



Next Story