The biggest advantage of hosting an amateur tournament at Zion Hills is that despite its unique challenges — the sprawling granite shelves, generous sprinkling of boulders and lakes, and their intertwining with the greens, this 18-hole championship course encourages a healthy co-existence of golfers of all skill levels.
Related: Mission, integrity, excellence: The tale behind Veteran Golf Trotterz
The latest initiative of Veteran Golf Trotterz (VGT) was in sync with Zion Hills’ ethos, and “The Mandodys in Blues” was one more step by VGT towards fulfilling its vision of promoting inclusive golf with its fourth tournament since inception.
The difference in skill levels had no bearing on the intensity, and the one-day event saw several superlative performances in Kolar (Bengaluru) on June 15.
Atop the roll of honour were Nithin Mudgal and Balachandra Nair, the gross winners with scores of 78 and 82 respectively.
Each category was keenly contested, and going with it, the ladies made a mark through Chandrika Bharath (37), Anuradha Reddy (31) and Madhu Kansal.
Going back to the gentlemen, Vikas Gupta triumphed in the below-60 section with 36 points, and was followed closely by Suresh Kumar at 35.
Air Marshal PP Reddy (Retd) proved that the passion he displayed as an air warrior was intact by topping 61-70 years category with 43 points. It was an emphatic result as his nearest competitor, Rajan Nair, finished at 34 points.
The 71-and-above section was a lot more closely contested, and another seasoned veteran, Group Captain HMV Murthy (Retd), edged out Brigadier Kanbarginath (Retd) by logging 38 points for the narrowest of wins.
Length and accuracy off the tee are critical requirements in the sport, and Sanjai Singh ticked the first box with a drive of 260 yards on Hole 18.
Group Captain Arunachalam was among the straightest off the tee on Hole 6, and he had Brigadier Rana, Captain KP Reddy, Jagadish Pradeep Jaythilak and Wing Commander M Vaggar for company.
There were sharp shooters on the greens as well, and showing the way was Lt Col Nitin Mudgal at 10.5 feet on Hole 16, and Colonel Sanjay Gopa Kumar left it 14.10 feet on Hole 5.
As the wheels of motion add momentum to the VGT movement, founder Group Captain Jaideep Mandody (Retd), buoyed by the success of “The Mandodys in Blues”, staged to mark his father, Air Vice-Marshal JH Mandody (Retd), 86th birthday, is ready to spread his wings with more tournaments across the country.
Watch this space, and mark the date, 8 November, for that’s when the VGT bandwagon will roll into Coorg for Event 5.
