The Emirates Golf Club was alive with excitement as the Ultimate Golf Challenge (UGC) Season 3 Player Auction unfolded, cementing its status as one of the UAE’s most rapidly expanding all-inclusive golf tournaments.
Ten teams aimed to build 16-player squads, including women players, under the expert guidance of auctioneer and UGC founder Brandon de Souza. A total of 100 players were up for grabs, with 81 being sold, including a star player who garnered over half a million points.
The mega auction saw fierce competition among franchises to form strong squads. Unlike previous seasons, where teams sometimes left with unanswered questions, Season 3 showcased meticulous planning.
At the EGC’s Pavilion, a key facility within the iconic club that serves as a versatile event and hospitality space, team owners arrived with well-thought-out strategies, balancing million-point budgets, player profiles, and team composition to ensure competitiveness on paper.
Defending champions Noble Legacy Masters were particularly strategic. Co-owner Achal Ghai shared his thoughts on the auction: “The player auction was handled very well by the league, which is showing signs of maturity.
The A Team owner Aman Chopra (centre) places a bid during the UGC Player Auction, accompanied by team members (from left) Kirtan Desai, Badruddin Hilal, Maura Duggan and Vivvek Chand. – Photo YGC
“It was a fair auction for all team owners from a league perspective. We are quite satisfied and excited because this time we’ve gone a little more diverse, focusing on quality players – low handicappers which should pay dividends. We are prepared to work hard to defend our title.”
Aman Chopra, co-owner of The A Team, last year’s runners-up, also praised the auction’s outcome: “An auction always throws a few curveballs, but we walked in with a clear blueprint and walked out with what we wanted.
“In the UGC, you can’t just chase big names, you need to read the room, understand trends, and time your bids well,” Chopra added. “We managed that well. Ayesha and I had mapped out a balance of experience, temperament, and clutch scoring ability, and I think we executed that plan with discipline.”
Mentor Kabir Uthra of Alpha Ninjas commented: “We approached the auction not just with a tactical plan on paper, but with the same philosophy that guided our founding: balance, cohesion, and long-term team building.
UGC founder Brandon de Souza takes the stage as auctioneer during the Season 3 Player Auction. – Photo UGC
“As highlighted in Season 2, Alpha Ninjas was always about more than just winning; it was about building a squad where players enjoy the game, feel supported, and stay committed season after season.
“When the randomized auction order played out, we stuck to that philosophy and secured not only talent but the right personalities. So yes, the outcome aligned well with what we envisaged,” Luthra added.
Brandon de Souza, who anchored the auction and played master of ceremonies with consummate ease, added, “This season, the preparation of the teams was fantastic. The 10 teams knew what they were after. A total of 181 players had signed up; we sold 81 players at the auction, with the highest bid going to Ajay Bindru, who fetched 680,000 points.
“The excitement was infectious. Team owners came prepared to fill their squads well. There was obviously a lot of planning. The beauty is, this league has taken shape, and like I always say, Dubai has truly become the place for these types of events,” De Souza added.
“Really excited to have curated the UGC because of the involvement of all the amateur golfers, and it’s a chance for them to feel that they’re playing on the big stage.”
With diverse, strategically assembled squads now in place, the UGC Season 3 promises exhilarating golf, where good preparation will help decide who lifts the coveted trophy next.
