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Teenagers in tussle for golf supremacy
The Royal Colombo Golf title event was first played in the year 1914 even though the Club was inaugurated in 1879. The 18 hole course was never ready for competitive play until then. The 90-year history of the Championship was interrupted twice through World War I and World War II. We lost 8 years to make this year's championship the 82nd Title event of the Club.

The Championship was dominated by the expatriates until 1937 when Derrick de Saram fresh from Oxford beat a string of strong contenders to take the title and repeat this success in 1939. The War dislocated the Championship until 1947 and in the year 1948 Conrad Ephraums, the son of Burgher millionaire A.E. Ephraums who owned the Mount Lavinia Hotel and the most famous Race Horse Orange William won the Title.

Maestro Pin Fernando moved into the Championship in 1950 and up to 1975 records have it that he won the Title event 19 times. An enormous performance. Then in the year 1977 the elegant Sohli Captain beat Pin to take the Title and in the following year Doc. C. Thurairajah won the Title beating the maestro. Pin Fernando faded away from the scene thereafter.

Rusi Arrives
In the year 1980 Feroze Billimoria moved into the scene with power driving and in full command of the game. He won the Title on 4 occasions until Rusi Captain arrived to cut him short and stamp the title event with 10 victories. Captain has been our most impressive player in recent years.

This year’s title event was heart warming which augurs well for the future of Golf in Sri Lanka. Two resolute teenagers Mithun Perera at 16 and Binupa Wijesinghe at 15 were the finalists. In the semi-finals Mithun, the son of legendary Nandasena Perera took Steuart Ritchie, an excellent stroke player and former champion to the 21st and then beat him with a birdie. In the other half our rising star Binupa Wijesinghe showed nerves of steel when he dethroned the current champion Rusi Captain to go 2 up.

Titanic Struggle
The Perera Vs Wijesinghe battle was something of class and tenacity with both playing magnificent golf. At one stage of the morning's play Mithum was 5 up but Binupa's tenacity was richly rewarded when he cut off the lead to be all square on the 18th in the afternoon. They halved the 19th and 20th and on the 21st Perera cracked a stunning birdie to take the title.

Tita Nathanielsz, the President distributed the awards after the Captain Kumar Boralessa made a crisp and entertaining speech. The 19th hole was crowded to capacity.

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