Grand Champions Polo Club will host its third tournament of the spring season when the USPA Spring Challenge gets under Friday.
Five teams will compete Friday in opening day action.
Palm House, led by big-hitting 6-goaler Tommy Biddle, will play Piaget, led by 5-goalers Juan Bollini and Brandon Phillips at 4 p.m.
ELG, led by 6-goaler Kris Kampsen; Pony Express, led by Pancho Eddy; and Audi, led by 8-goaler Nic Roldan, will compete in a round-robin beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The teams are rated from 10 to 14 goals.
Kampsen will put his two-tournament spring win streak on the line. He has been a member of the winning ELG/Psycho Bunny team that won the season-opening Palm City Open and played for the winning Power Horse team in last weekend’s Polo Gear Invitational.
The two-day tournament also features some of the sport’s rising young stars including ELG’s Juancito Bollini, 17, a senior at Wellington High School, who was named Most Valuable Player of the Polo Gear Invitational after scoring five goals including the game-winner.
Palm House is coming off its consolation game victory, 4-3 over ELG where Alejandro Poma of Palm House was named MVP. It was also team captain Glenn Straub’s first consolation title.
It will also be a family affair with father and son Marc and Grant Ganzi competing for Audi and Melissa Ganzi, wife and mom, team captain of Piaget. Bob Daniels will play with one of his sons, Justin, on Pony Express.
The consolation and championship final will be held Sunday at times to be announced.
The teams are:
Audi Polo Team, 14 goals, Grant Ganzi, Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Lucas Lalor.
Pony Express, 10, Justin Daniels, Bob Daniels, Tomas Goti, Pancho Eddy.
ELG, 13, Avery Chapman, Juancito Bollini, Kris Kampsen, Carlucho Arellano.
Palm House, 13, Carlitos Gracida, Glenn Straub, JJ Celis, Tommy Biddle.
Piaget, 14, Martin Astrada, Melissa Ganzi, Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini.
The remaining Grand Champions spring tournaments are the May 10-12 USPA Sun Cup; May 17-19 USPA Eastern Challenge; and May 24-27 Memorial by Piaget.
GRAND CHAMPIONS SPRING SCHEDULE
May 3-5: USPA Spring Challenge
May 10-12: The USPA Sun Cup
May 17-19: USPA Eastern Challenge
May 24-27: The Memorial by Piaget
GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB
WHERE: On the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington.
INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi and Piaget. Everyone is welcome to watch polo in a relaxed atmosphere during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the International Cup in November, Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament in March, Women’s Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League International Tournament, both in April.