MUMBAI, NOV 21: Poona Club Golf Course edged into lead at the end of the first day of the Western Region finals of the Johnnie Walker International Club Championships at the par-70 Bombay Presidency Golf Club Course today.The Pune team comprising Ikram Khan, Kumar Gera and Vijay Singh finished the day with a total score of 219, a stroke ahead of the Army Golf Club, Ahmedabad, team of Parthiv Mehta, Devang Shah and Col HPS Bedi. Narmada Golf Links, Bharuch, were placed third, half-way through the two-day event, with a score of 225.4.The top two teams from here will participate in the National finals which will be played at the Royal Calcutta Golf Course on December 5-6.It was a creditable feat by the Ahmedabad team making its debut in the tournament. ``If we play to our handicap, we can put the other teams behind,'' said Shah, who finished with the best score of 70.4 for the first day's runner-up spot. ``The fairways are a bit heavy but the greens are very fast and we are enjoying every bit of thegame,'' he added even as team-mate Mehta nodded in agreement.Of the local teams, Willingdon Sports Club came up with the best show, with a score of 228. They were closely followed by Bombay Presidency Golf Club who scored 228.8.The other teams in fray are Army Golf Club (Bhopal), Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club and RSI Golf Club (Pune). The 10th team, DSCI, Mhow, failed to turn up.The three-member teams essentially comprise amateaur golfers from three different handicap groups, 0-9, 10-17 and 17-24. While the mode of play is normal strokeplay, the net score is decided taking the Preoria handicap into consideration which is decided on the basis of the original handicap of the player.The day's best individual gross score of 78 was carded by Willingdon Sports Club's Abhay Kilachand.Results (after 18 holes)219 Poona Club Golf Course (Ikram Khan 72.6, Kumar Gera 70.8, Vijay Shah 75.6); 220 Army GC, Ahmedabad (Parthiv Mehta 74.6, Devang Shah 70.4, Col HPS Bedi 75); 225.4 Narmada Golf Links,Bharuch (Pradip M Patel 74.6, Vijay K Chauhan 73, Sudhir M Patel 77.8); 228 Willingdon Sports Club (Akshay Kilachand 71.6, Jai Sheth 78, Sanjay Ruia 76.4); 228.8 Bombay Presidency Golf Club (A Castellino 72.6, SS Loomba 77.2, P Bendre 79), RSI Golf Club, Pune (Lt Col PK Singh 75.6, J Malik 73.8, Lt Col Sunil Thapa 78.4), Army GC, Bhopal (Omkar F Ali 76.6, Shekar Mehra 78.6, Amit Agarwal 76.2), United Services Golf Club (Cmdr SC Joshi 78.6, Gyan Puri 74.2, Ashish Goel 80.6), Gaekwad Baroda GC (Ashish Patel 83.6, Jaivikram Singh 80.6, Yash Shah 75.8).
