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“One of the nicest events that we have played in a long time” was the sentiment that echoed across the Qutab Golf Course on Saturday the 22nd of Nov. And when any event is conducted for a good cause, as the “Maitri Invitational Golf 2008” was, good cheer is a natural emotion which emerges. The event exemplified it.

Maitri, an NGO promoted by Gen Bhopinder Singh and his wife Winnie Singh, is committed to reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Held annually, the event is committed to highlighting the cause on a wider canvas as MAITRI believes prevention through awareness is the best attack against the virus. Conducted with an objective to derive maximum reach through a multiplier effect, MAITRI through the event, calls upon golfers – in their capacities as corporate heads, decision-makers, peer leaders, opinion builders and the youth – to join hands in generating awareness about HIV/AIDS and containing its spread.

The other objective of the event is also to generate funds and from the large number of repeat sponsors that came forward to support the event, one could see that the event was making a difference. And the 104 golfers that teed off on a very pleasant Saturday morning found many pleasant surprises to their liking. The first of which was the presence of several energetic young student volunteers who came forward to support the event.

One could not have guessed that many of them had come to a golf course for the first time as they went about their tasks of welcoming participants, distributing gifts and awarding spot prizes with professional ease and exuberant warmth. Such was the infectious energy they generated that many participants were motivated to state that the event had moved beyond being a corporate event into a new realm which made it really fun and celebratory.

Another surprise awaited them on the course when they had to buy innovative mulligans to vie for attractive prizes put up by sponsors. With young persuasive children selling the mulligans, most participants complied generously and bought the extra shots that the mulligans allowed them. With the proceeds going to charity and the mulligans adding to better scores, everyone seemed happy. And the scores reflected that.

Played on a stableford format with all participants playing off 75% of their original handicaps, the mulligans certainly helped lower the scores. TL Arora emerged as the best golfer of the day to win the Best Stableford Score with a tally of 46 points. The competition was a little tougher to determine the best player in the Handicap category (13-24) with as many as five golfers tied at 40 pts. With the count back going to the last 9 and then the last 6 holes, Calvin Eu, the Singapore High Commissioner narrowly edged out Siddharth Jain to emerge as the winner while Siddharth finished as the Runner Up.

In the handicap category (0-12) popular Taranjeet Singh of BBC World emerged as the Winner with 36 pts while young Anvay Bharat finished Runner Up with 34 pts. Sonia Singh won the prize for the best lady golfer with a score of 34 pts. However while the main event was scored on stableford basis, and the players received lovely trophies designed by Sanjay Sharma, there were many innovative skills prizes too.

The Longest drive prize of a “Driver” was claimed by D Sarkar of DDA with a drive of 278 yds on the 8th Hole, while DP Singh stuck his tee shot to 3’4” to win the lovely Kashmiri Carpet that was the prize for the “Closest to Pin” on the 10th hole. He also emerged as the highest and most sporting bidder when the other carpet offered by “Shaw Carpets” was put up for auction and conducted with great finesse by Amar Raj Singh, before the prize distribution.