USPA Sun Cup Gets Under Way Thursday At Grand Champions Polo Club |
By Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Grand Champions Polo ClubThe spring polo season continues this week at Grand Champions Polo Club with the USPA Sun Cup.
Five teams will compete during the three-day tournament that begins on Thursday.
The first game is Thursday at 4 p.m. between Whitehall Ranch and Dutta Corp. The winner advances into Sunday’s final.
On Friday, also at 4 p.m., three teams, Audi, Deeridge and Sebucan will play a round-robin to determine the other finalist.
A doubleheader is scheduled on Sunday. The subsidiary is 10 a.m. and final at 11:30 a.m.
The player field features some of the sport’s top players including Jason Crowder, Kris Kampsen, Brandon Phillips, Lucas Lalor and former 10-goaler Piki Diaz Alberdi.
The team rosters are:
Audi: Marc Ganzi, Rich Desich, Kris Kampsen, Juancito Bollini.
Deeridge: Will Jacobs, Grant Ganzi, Guille Aguero, Pablo Dorignac.
Dutta Corp: Tim Dutta, Timmy Dutta, Piki Diaz Alberdi, Carlitos Gracida.
Sebucan: Alex Webb, Pablo Pulido, JJ Celis, Brandon Phillips.
Whitehall Ranch: Melissa Ganzi, Bill Lane, Jason Crowder, Lucas Lalor.
In last year’s Sun Cup final, Dutta Corp (Timmy Dutta, Tony Calle, Piki Diaz Alberdi, Brandon Phillips) knocked off Newport (Gene Goldstein, Grant Ganzi, Julio Arellano, Juancito Bollini), 8-6.
Calle was named Most Valuable Player and his 12-year-old Argentine mare, Fantasia was Best Playing Pony.
The USPA Sun Cup is the third of six medium-goal tournaments offered in April and May as the GCPC Spring Instructional League.
Other spring tournaments are: May 12-14, Spring Challenge Cup; May 19-21, Polo Gear Invitational and May 26-29, The Memorial.
During the Grand Champions’ spring season, amateur polo players get the chance to play with and against some of the world’s top professional polo players. It is geared towards improving polo skills and having fun.
“We are focusing on the game and concentrating on giving everyone an opportunity to play polo and improve their game,” said Polo School Director and former 8-goaler Juan Bollini. “Marc and Melissa (Ganzi) have opened Grand Champions to anybody in polo. We have great tournaments here. We are really trying to make polo better in America. We want to show the world we can have the best polo for everyone.”
The spring league is also a great opportunity for younger players to develop and hone their skills against their peers and more experienced players.
The GCPC spring league features: medium goal practice games at least once a week; stick-and-ball sessions available during the week; two medium goal tournament games for teams every weekend; ambulance and USPA umpires for all tournament games; complete turn-key tournament polo with some of the top professionals in the world; playing polo on some of Wellington’s most prestigious and well-manicured fields; club-sponsored social events every weekend for all players and excellent trophies for all teams every weekend.
Grand Champions hosts polo tournaments ranging from six to 26-goal in addition to special events at its eleven well-manicured fields including Santa Rita Polo Farm, during the fall, winter and spring seasons.
The spring season is being live-streamed on Wellington-based ChukkerTV, worldwide leaders in polo broadcasting.
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