Not just a stroke of luck; 5th Club Championship win for Amrith de Soysa!
Amrith de Soysa made a sensational return at the 101st Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) Club Championship by clinching the title yet again, after a 4-year hiatus from competitive golf. Considered the “Jewel in the Crown” of all board events of the club, Amrith has won this prestigious tournament in 2001, 2013, 2014, 2015 and now in 2022.
Amrith receives the 101st RCGC Club Championships Trophy from Captain Saneth Gamage – Pic courtesy RCGC
Amrith became the youngest ever player to win the title when he beat the formidable Rusi Captain in the final in 2001. He was 14-years-old at the time and shattered a record held for 87 years; a record he still holds to this day.
Enroute to victory last weekend, he defeated A.A. Mahinda 3/2, Suhayb Sangani 3/2 in the quarter finals and teen sensation Nirekh Tejwani 2/1 in the semifinals. In the final, he played accomplished golfer Sachin de Silva in a grueling 8-hour 36-hole contest in windy, overcast conditions. Amrith took an early lead in the morning round and continued to maintain his lead throughout the day. In a clinical performance, he played strategically flawless golf all day and was as much as 8 up with 10 holes to play during the afternoon round, securing a 6/4 victory at the 32nd hole.
At the tender age of 12, Amrith happened to hit his first golf ball at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club by chance, while on holiday with his family. As fate would have it, he immediately made good contact and then began his golfing journey under professional coach Pheroze Billemoria. In a matter of months, he won the Sri Lanka Junior Open and in under 2 years, he added the India Junior Open, before going on to also win the Bangladesh Junior Open and Pakistan Junior Open. His long list of golfing achievements includes top 3 finishes in Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines Junior Opens, along with an eighth place finish in the British Junior Open and 11th in the World Junior Championships in San Diego, California.