Our Bureau
Lawrence Township, NJ
The South Asian Golf Association (SAGA) held its 20th Annual Golf Outing on September 21 as a spectacular celebration of the gentle game, community, and friendly competition.
The day-long SAGA Open brought together over 70 enthusiastic golfers at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Lawrence Township, NJ. Everybody enjoyed an unforgettable day on the greens with clear skies, perfect weather, and a spirit of camaraderie.
Known for its thrilling competition and warm, welcoming atmosphere, the SAGA Open has established itself as a premier event for the South Asian golfing community. Using a handicapped-based scoring system, players of all skill levels are in contention to win the year-long competition.
This year’s final tournament kicked off with a shotgun start. Both seasoned players and eager newcomers teed off for a chance to win prestigious prizes, including a Mercedes-Benz for a hole-in-one, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Princeton.
The Anish Joshi Memorial Trophy, awarded to the overall 2024 SAGA Tour Champion, was the highlight of the day, which comes with a one-week vacation anywhere in the world, donated by Dr. Anil and Mrs. Anju Joshi, parents of late Anish Joshi – a former member and strong supporter.
Deep Thapliyal was declared the winner of the Anish Joshi Memorial Trophy. Following are other SAGA Tour 2024 winners:
For Flight 1, Deep Thapliyal, Varun Malhotra, and Amit Parekh took first, second, and third place, respectively.
For Flight 2, Niraj Desai, Jassi Singh, and Shashi Gautam took first, second and third place, respectively.
For Flight 3, Ankit Patel, Haresh Majmundar, and Jayesh Parikh claimed first, second and third place.
Ronak Patel, who reduced handicap from 20.3 to 14.7, was declared Most Improved Golfer.
In other SAGA Open 2024 Highlights, Low Gross Score was carded by Santosh Hanumaiah – Score of 75 (Winner with Tie-breaker, tied with Abdhullah Vohra).
Closest to the Pin claimants were Hole #2: Tito Singh (6′ 9″); Hole #4: Romil Bhagat (18′ 4″); Hole #7: Amit Sud (1′ 9″); Hole #11: Jassi Singh (5′ 4″); and Hole #14: Santosh Hanumaiah (8′ 5″). Closest to the Line: Hole #13: Rajeev Chaudhary (3″).
The UnitedHealthcare Cup was awarded to the victorious SAGA ‘The Gate Squad’ Team, led by captain Deep Thapliyal. His team, consisting of Amit Parekh, Varun Malhotra, Shashi Gautam, Sachin Mally, Sanjay Seth, Ashish Shah, and Uday Patel, celebrated a hard-fought win, rounding off an incredible day of golf. The SAGA Board and the Tour committee ensured that competitive integrity is maintained and stayed true to the sport.
In keeping with SAGA’s commitment to nurturing young talent, three deserving students were awarded the SAGA Junior / Anish Joshi College Scholarships ($1,650 each) for their academic and golfing achievements: Tanya Chowdary – Bentley University, MA, Tanvi Samayam – Nova Southeastern University, FL, and Vikram Bajaj – Stonybrook University, NY.
As the sun set over Cobblestone Creek Country Club, golfers and guests gathered in the ballroom for a fun-filled awards ceremony. Laughter, stories, and smiles filled the room as everyone celebrated the 20th anniversary of the SAGA Golf Open.
SAGA Founder and President Mahesh Yadav thanked all participants, sponsors, and volunteers for contributing to the successful and memorable event. The awards reception was followed by dinner, dancing, and raffle prizes.
With sponsorship support from UnitedHealthcare, NJ Group Services, Prajapati & Company, Optima Global Solutions, TV Asia, and other valued partners, SAGA Open has cemented its place as one of the top golfing events for South Asians in the US.
SAGA Open welcomes experienced golfers or beginners to challenge themselves, meet new friends, and enjoy a day filled with golf fun and excitement.
To join this vibrant golfing community and be part of next year’s excitement, visit the SAGA website.
