L-R – David D’Souza (Winner), BK Gajraj (honoured by AVT Champions Tour for lifetime contribution to golf) & Dilip Thomas (AVT)
Bangalore’s David D’Souza defended his AVT Champions tour Bangalore title, which he has won in 2019 and 2021 shooting solid rounds of 72 & 71 for a total of 143, three strokes ahead of Chandigarh’s Sandeep Sandhu, who shot 76 & 70 (146) at the highly upgraded Bangalore Golf Club in the city centre.
In the four member inter city team competition, the strong Bangalore team of Anand Srinivasan, David D’Souza, Amitabh Poddar & Jehangir Tankariwala made a strong 2nd day showing to come from 3rd place to take the title over Chandigarh and Delhi. In the team event, the best three individual scores count towards the team total each day.
The Bangalore Golf Club, in superb condition, proved a fair test of golf for India’s leading senior amateurs, who returned to competition for the opening edition of the fourth season of the AVT Champions Tour which is played on 36 holes gross strokeplay format.
Further editions are confirmed for Royal Calcutta GC, Kolkata in November 2022, Oxford Golf Resort, Pune in January 2023 and Chandigarh Golf Club in March 2023.
The AVT Champions Tour, attracts the best veteran players in the country, including Asian Games gold medalists Lakshman Singh, Rishi Narain & Amit Luthra, former All-India Senior’s Champions Ashok Malik, Alan Singh, Gangesh Khaitan & Vijay Kumar, 1983 cricket World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, senior internationals Jaspreet Bakshi, Anil Jule, Sanjay Kolhatkar, Ajai Sirohi, Capt Cheema, GC Sharma and others.
The players compete for the overall title, as well as in various veteran age categories such as over 50, over 55, over 60, over 65, & over 70. There is a four member inter-city team event in gross and net as well.
The AVT Champions tour series prepares Indian seniors to test out their skills against the country’s best while preparing for their international outing to the annual Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship.
The AVT Champions Tour gave its lifetime contribution award for development of golf in Bangalore to B.K. Gajraj former Captain of KGA during the 90’s. He was a top class golfer himself, winning several amateur tournaments in south India and also selflessly devoted himself to the set up and emergence of KGA Golf Course as one of the flagship courses of India. His guidance and example set the tone for various other officials from south india to emerge and lead the development of the game after he retired. Bangalore would not have become the powerhouse of golf it is today without the three decades of service of B.K. Gajraj.
AVT Champions Tour Bangalore event Results –
Overall Winner & Runner up
Player Score
David D’Souza 72-71 (143)
Sandeep Sandhu 76-70 (146)
Age Category Winners –
Category Player Score
50-54 Anand Srinivasan 80-74 (154)
55-59 Naveen Wahi 74-77 (151)
60-64 Rishi Narain 77-73 (150)
65-69 Anil Jule 80-79 (159)
70 & Above Grp. Capt. Venkatesh Murthy Hebbale 83-89 (171)
Winners of past AVT editions –
2021 – 2022 season
David D’Souza – Bengaluru ; Sanjeev (Fatty) Mehra – Kolkata ; Sandeep Sandhu – Pune, Ajai Sirohi – Delhi & Ankur Prakash (Season Champion).
2020 – Ajai Sirohi – Delhi
2019 -2020 season
Rishi Narain – Delhi; David D’Souza – Bengaluru ; PS Rathore – Pune & Kolkata