Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Championship 2022 tees off with Qualifiers
Maneesh Chanmugam, Vinuda Weerasinghe and Dhavinka Kanag-Isvaran with officials of Sri Lanka Golf and sponsors Perera and Sons Bakers
The Junior Match Play Golf Championship, played for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy, teed off at the Royal Colombo Golf Club course in Rajagiriya, with Haroon Aslam, Kaya Daluwatte, Reshan Algama, Thejas Rathis Kanth and Danik Daluwatte coming on top.
Haroon Aslam fired a 4 under par 67 to claim the top seed position in the match play draw in the Gold Division for the Rumkini Kodagoda Trophy. Yannik Kumara and K. Danushan of Nuwara Eliya Golf Club carded even par 71 to secure the second and third seeding in the draw of the top eight qualifiers.
Kaya Daluwatte returned a 1 over par 73 in the Girls Gold Division to be seeded on top while Sherin Mithara ended as the second best in the Girls Age Category of 15 to 18 years above.
Reshan Algama secured the top seed position with a 76 in the Silver Division from Jacob Norton and Adithya Weerasinghe of Anuradhapura, who shared second position with a card of 80. The Bronze Division had a clear top seed with Thejas Rathis Kanth on 61 from second placed Mohamed Saqeer Zuhar on 91.
Reshan Algama and Haroon Aslam
In the Boys and Girls age group 9 and under for the Copper Division, played over nine holes, Danik Daluwatte led the seeding with 50, closely followed by Jaeden Sathasivam (54), Yuva Rathis Kanth (54), Anuja Methsara (56) and Taalia Silva, the only girl in the field with 57, promising to be a closely fought out battle for the Copper Division winner.
The Junior Match Play Golf Championship is the only Match Play Tournament for the junior golfers. The Match Play format is a test of character, skill and temperament which are unique features for a top professional golfer.
The British Amateur Championship is the oldest in the Match Play format first played in 1881 and is followed by the Ceylon Amateur Golf Championship, which is the second oldest Match Play tournament in the world.
With the generous sponsorship of Perera and Sons Bakers, the Junior Match-play Golf Championship is being played for the seventh year attracting over 70 entries in five age group categories. Perera and Sons Group have supported the development and progress of junior golf development and are the proud sponsors of the annual competition, played in the memory of the Late Rukmuni Kodagoda, a member of the Perera and Sons Bakers family business and a revered double international representing Sri Lanka in tennis and golf.