On Saturday, 12th January 2025, Jumeirah Golf Estates proudly hosted the 2025 Captains’ Drive-In, welcoming the new Club Captains, Rishad Moloobhoy and Tanya Harrison.
Following the Drive-In ceremony, 120 members and guests participated in a Team Texas Scramble event on the Earth Course. The day also marked the debut of the new TrackMan Driving Range at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where members took part in driving range challenges before the Shotgun Start.
During the evening’s prize-giving ceremony, Franco Botha, Director of Golf at Jumeirah Golf Estates, introduced the new Captains and wished them success for the year ahead. “We are excited to have Tanya and Rishad as your Captains for 2025, and we are confident they will represent the Club and its members admirably,” he stated. “It was wonderful to see you all here today, celebrating the new Captains with friendly competition over the Earth Course.”
In a bid to create more inclusive events for low-handicap members, this year’s event saw the introduction of a gross team division, which Jumeirah Golf Estates aims to expand into future team events throughout 2025.
The Texas Scramble event saw exceptional scores, with Carl Downham, Evelyn Downham, Michael Cairns, and Mark Hunt claiming the gross victory with a remarkable 13-under-par score of 59. The team demonstrated outstanding teamwork on the Earth Course, completing their round without dropping a stroke. Reflecting on the day, Carl Downham said, “It’s been a pleasure to take part today and to wish our new Captains well. I’m confident they’ll make a significant contribution to the Club in 2025. The cherry on top was our excellent performance on the course!” Despite their stellar performance, the team edged out the competition by just one shot.
The net winners, with a phenomenal score of 22-under-par (net 50), were Hash Kapadia, Tara Hession, Mark Castley, and Aharron Leo. Their flawless, bogey-free round featured seven net eagles, showcasing their remarkable skill and precision.
Runners-up in the net division, also on 22-under-par (net 50), were Andrew Turnbull, Bradley Valentine, Kevin Voegeli, and Melanie Voegeli. Despite a strong front nine, which included five net eagles, a slower finish on the back nine saw them lose out on countback to Kapadia’s team.
In third place were David Warham, Andrew Morris, Adam Hodgkins, and Zak Taher, with a score of 19-under-par (net 53). The talented group, consisting of low-handicap players, posted an impressive gross score of 60 but narrowly missed out on the gross prize.
Main Image: Jumeirah Golf Estates
