SAGA Golf Outing Highlights $150,000 Gift and Growing Commitment to Community
22nd annual outing brings together golfers, families and supporters as the organization expands scholarships and programs for youth and women
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — The South Asian Golf Association (SAGA) marked its 22nd annual golf outing on Sept. 19 at Cobblestone Creek Country Club, bringing together members, families, sponsors, volunteers and guests for a day centered on golf, community and philanthropy.
- But the most significant takeaway from this year’s event went beyond the golf course. SAGA highlighted a $150,000 contribution from longtime supporters Dr. Anil Joshi and Mrs. Anju Joshi to the SAGA Foundation, a gift that is helping the organization expand its charitable work and inspire additional support for scholarships and junior girls’ golf.
Founded in 2004 as a group of friends who shared a passion for golf, SAGA has grown to more than 100 members. Its activities increasingly extend beyond competition, with a focus on youth development, women’s participation, education and community service.
All proceeds from SAGA activities now support the SAGA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes health, life skills and inclusion through golf, particularly among young people and women.
$150,000 Gift Honors a Legacy
The Joshi family’s connection to SAGA goes back more than a decade. Dr. and Mrs. Joshi are the parents of the late Anish Joshi, whose love of golf helped inspire the organization to broaden its mission and give back to the community.
For more than 10 years, the family has supported the SAGA Tour by providing the championship vacation and cash prizes associated with the Anish Joshi Memorial Trophy. The family also helped establish SAGA’s college scholarship program, providing $5,000 annually for nine years and supporting approximately two dozen students.
Their additional $150,000 contribution to the SAGA Foundation over the past year will help fund the organization’s expanding charitable initiatives while keeping Anish Joshi’s memory connected to the game he loved.
“The Joshis’ generosity has helped us turn SAGA into something much larger than a golf organization,” said SAGA Founder and President Mahesh Yadav. “It is allowing us to create opportunities for young people, support students and grow the game in our community while keeping Anish’s legacy alive.”
The SAGA Foundation’s Board of Trustees includes Uday Patel, Sanjay Seth, Paresh Desai and Vinay Bahuguna, along with Yadav.
New Support for Junior Girls
The impact of the Joshi family’s generosity is already extending to new initiatives. Longtime SAGA supporter Rajiv Rudra of Long Island has committed funding for a program designed to encourage junior girls from the tri-state area to compete at higher levels.
Beginning in 2027, eligible girls age 18 and under will be eligible for awards of $1,000 for winning a recognized 36-hole tournament, $1,500 for winning a high school county championship and $2,000 for winning a state championship.
The initiative has already recognized its first recipient. Vidhi Lakhawala received the $1,000 Rajiv Rudra/SAGA Award in recognition of her achievement, reflecting SAGA’s growing focus on competitive opportunities for young female golfers.
Scholarships Keep Students Connected to Golf
SAGA also awarded its 2026 college scholarships to Lakhawala, a University of North Carolina student, and Nesa Shah, a University of Pennsylvania student. Lakhawala received $2,000, while Shah received $1,000.
The scholarships are part of SAGA’s effort to support students pursuing higher education while maintaining their connection to golf and the broader community.
The 2026 season also featured SAGA’s first two-day Ryder Cup, along with the UHC Cup, SAGA Open and yearlong SAGA Tour. Women’s participation continued to increase, including the organization’s first women’s foursome earlier in the season and another at the SAGA Open.
A Growing Golf Community
On the competitive side, Deep Thapliyal captured the 2026 SAGA Tour Championship and the Anish Joshi Memorial Trophy. The championship prize includes a one-week vacation anywhere in the world, sponsored by Dr. Anil and Mrs. Anju Joshi.
Faisal Ali was named Most Improved Golfer after reducing his handicap from 9.9 to 3.8.
At the 2026 SAGA Open, Jacob McGill posted the low gross score of even-par 70, while Bharat Khambadkone recorded the highest Stableford total with 39 points.
The UnitedHealthcare Cup was won by Gate Squad, captained by Amit Parekh. The winning team also included Deep Thapliyal, Deepak Chandrashekhar, Jayesh Parikh, Richie Bhojani, Rishi Bunsee, Sanjay Seth, Varun Malhotra and Anil Parikh.
For SAGA, the annual outing has become more than a celebration of the season’s accomplishments. The organization’s growing emphasis on giving back is turning its golf network into a platform for scholarships, youth development, women’s participation and community service.
After 22 years, SAGA is using the game that brought its members together as a vehicle for a broader mission — one in which giving back is becoming as important as the game itself.
