The defending champions are again the favorites.

But the list of players who could challenge Chris Baas and Virginia Hanson for the Green Lea Golf Course Club Championship could be growing.

The 2003 tournament is Saturday at Green Lea, with tee times starting at 7:30. The registration deadline is today.

Baas will be back to defend the men’s championship, according to Green Lea Manager Jeff Elseth, and Hanson, last year’s women’s champ, is also again registered.

The tournament is nine-hole match play, with players flighted by handicap. The top 16 players go into the championship flight.

Elseth said several younger players in their first year of eligibility could challenge Baas, including Dan Breuer, Josh Jones and Ryan Thompson, and perennial challengers Nate Rasmusson, Scott Rasmussen and Justin Bennett.

On the women’s side, Elseth expects Val Nicolaus, Sandy Narverud, Jill Westney and Marlene Overgaard to be in the hunt for the title along with Hanson.

The men’s championship match is expected to begin around 2 p.m. Saturday.

(Contact Jim Lutgens at sports@albertleatribune.com or 379-3437.)