With the challenging par-70 course in pristine condition and with good weather prevailing in the city, the stage was set for some intense action in the tournament organised by hosts Tollygunge Club and managed by Protouch Sports Systems.

Interestingly, among the whopping 500-plus participants, there were over 70 juniors taking to the greens in the big event. And among the young guns were as many as 40 caddy boys.

The competition format was designed with the aim of making the whole experience more of a team-centric effort despite the sport’s overtly individualistic aspect.

All skill levels were represented, from intensively competitive single handicappers to the more laidback weekend warriors, organised into four divisions, to ensure fair competition.

The participants were pooled into 138 teams. The participating pool comprised players cutting across vastly differing age-groups, ranging from one Piyush Sengupta, who is 85, to teams brimming with eight to 10-year-old young guns, one of teams being aptly called Tolly Toddlers. And as for the focus on caddie-participants, many of them attracted sonsorships, indicating that the SSP Chowrasia phenomenon is definitely rubbing off in the city’s golfing circuit.

In a fitting end, it was the new Indian golfing sensation Chowrasia who was present at the prize distribution ceremony.

The humble caddie-turned-pro recalled his own journey to the top and urged the new generation of caddies to take advantage of the new caddy golf programmes that are springing up in the city, one of them being run by golfer-cum-coach Indrajit Bhalotia.

Kasvi Mallik, Ladies All India Silver Division winner at a recent tournament in Bangalore and Viraj Madappa, ranked among the top-5 in India in the D category, were also felicitated at the prize distribution function. Anu Tripathi bagged a special prize for a miraculous hole-in-one.

At the end, it was Golfing Friends Supreme, registering a net score of 204, which was declared the overall champions of the Tolly Cup. The side comprised Vikram Jaiswal, Daljit Sahney, Deepak Tandon and Madan Agarwal. The individual best net score of 63 was achieved by Sushanto Das and a best gross score of 69 was the result of an impressive round by Mayukh Ray.