Mulligans face Sultans, Captain’s 18 to take on Aces in semis today

The semifinals of the Chandigarh Golf League 2025 will be played between The Mulligans and Sultans of Swing followed by the contest between two-time defending champions Captain’s 18 and Punjab Aces at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Thursday.

With 71 matches, 497 games and 852 rounds of golf, it will be down to the final four matches — two semis, one final and a third place match — to determine the champions and the three runners-up.

The first semifinal will see Mulligans reaching the stage for the third consecutive season. Looking a much settled line-up this year, they will be hoping to make it to the final after twice having to taste defeat in gut-wrenching playoffs. After missing out on the knockout stage in the first year, The Mulligans have finished third and fourth in the last two seasons. They have a perfect record against their opponents, Sultans of Swing after beating them twice last year — once in the round robin and later in the quarterfinals. “It feels fantastic to reach the semis. We knew it would be tough, but we managed to stick to our game plan and execute when it counted,” said skipper Bismad Singh.

The Sultans made the headlines for making it this far for the first time. They will be out to avenge their quarterfinal defeat at the hands of the Mulligans last year. “After an absolutely thrilling win in the quarterfinals, the Sultans are focused and ready for the semis. We’ve had a strong season so far and as the competition grows tougher it will bring out the best in the Sultans,” said Sampat Singh, co-owner.

Captain’s 18 stormed into the semis for the fourth consecutive time and are the only team to do so. After finishing fourth in the inaugural edition, they have won back-to-back titles. On the eve of the semi-final, Randeep Singh, captain and co-owner, said: “In the last two years, Captains 18 as a team has developed strong bonds, respect and understanding between players and all stakeholders, which help bring out the best on the golf course.”

Their opponents, the Aces, are back in the semis after two years. The Aces are one of the few teams to have made to the knockouts every season and saw exits in the quarterfinals in 2023 and the Super-12 qualifier last season. Their head to head against the Captain’s 18 stands at one apiece after they avenged their 2.5-4.5 loss back in 2023 with a 5-2 win earlier this season during their round robin match.

“I’m proud of every team member’s commitment and determination that has brought us this far. Our singles are on fire, and our pairings are well-tested and robust. We’re very confident as we prepare to take on Captain’s 18 once again,” said Gurmeet Johal, owner of the Aces.