Golf: Chanaka, Vinoth and Ranga joint leaders in June Lectra GP

The ever popular Sri Lanka Golf Lectra Grand Prix June edition got underway at the beautiful, tight Nuwara Eliya Golf Club Course nestled within the Nuwara Eliya Town, conducted by the Sri Lanka Golf Union.

Sri Lanka Amateur National Champion 2019, M.U. Chanaka Perera returned a Par 71 to share the lead after the opening round with local golfer Vinoth Kumar and NavindaRanga the winner of the last event played at the same venue.

Ranga seems to like the tight Nuwara Eliya Golf Course, where accuracy from Tee to Green is vital and more important than distance off the Tee.

The veterans B.A. Sanjeewa, N. Amarapadma and the overall Lectra Grand Prix leader after the Month of May Edition, G.P. Sisira Kumara were tied in fourth place just 1 stroke behind the leading trio. 

A further stroke behind the leading pack in 7th place was youngster and Sri Lank Junior Team captain J.K. Januka Dilshan.

The competitive field of 40 players including juniors and national squad players, will be pruned after the second round, when the cutoff will be implemented and the Top 20 players will qualify to play in the third and fourth rounds.

The Lectra Grand Prix sponsored monthly by Apparel Technologies, a member of the Bobbin Group of Companies ensures a monthly 4-round contest is played at the highest level facilitating the top Sri Lankan amateurs to be ranked internationally, obtaining World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) as tournaments recognised by the World Golfing body, in the United Kingdom.

Leader board after Round 1

71: M.U. Chanaka Perera, B. Vinoth Kumar (NEGC), Navinda Ranga

72: B.A. Sanjeewa, N. Amarapadma, G.P. Sisira Kumara

73: J.K. Januka Dilshan

74: R.M.S. Rupasinghe

75: J.M.D. Indika, S. Dhuwarshan (NEGC)

76: Haroon Aslam (VGCR)

78: A. Dinesh, G.I. Dilranga

82: H.G.C.P. Chaturaga

83: P.D.S.U. Kumara