Golf: Sri Lanka Junior Championship finals tomorrow

The Sri Lanka Junior Golf Championship reached the climax with five finals scheduled in the different Age Group Categories to be played at the Royal Colombo Golf Club Course on Thursday (5).

The Sri Lanka Junior Golf Championship sponsored by Perera and Sons Bakers for the fifth consecutive year produced much interest and quite a following at the semi-final stage.

There were no surprises in the Girls Gold and Silver combined category with top seeded Kayla Perera cruising to an easy 8 and 6 victory over Dhaliya Helshiba Herath from the Victoria Golf Club, Digana, to set-up an enthralling final clash with Taniya Minel Balasuriya the current Sri Lanka Ladies National Title holder. 

Kayla Perera who missed the National Championship week, returned with a sensational 2 under par gross in the qualifying round to be the top seed for the Junior Girls Championship for the coveted Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy 2018. 

Taniya Minel beat her sister Sherin Mithara 5 and 4 in the second semi-final to meet Kayla in the final and defend her title as the Junior Girls Champion, which she won in 2017.

Vinod Weerasinghe the runner-up last year, comfortably secured his berth in the final defeating S. Dhuwarshan from NEGC 4 and 3. 

Sathsara Dilshan an experienced junior beat Dilshan Malinda seeded number 1 after the qualifying round for the match-play segment, to meet Vinod in what should be a closely fought final. 

However, Vinod Weerasinghe is the favourite to clinch the Junior Boys Golf Championship title and the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy for Boys.

The Silver Division for Boys saw Nirekh Tejwani defeating Yannik Kumara 1 up, reversing the result of 2017 when Yannik beat Nirekh in the final of the Bronze Division. 

Nirekh will meet K. Danushan in the final after Danushan brushed aside S.D.M. Hirushan comfortably 4 and 3.

In the Bronze Division Age Category N.W.G. Shanal Binuksha beat Reshan Algama 2 up. 

M.S. Sanjay had a close call to overcome Pranav Muralidaran who fought valiantly to the end going down the 19th hole in a sudden-death play-off. 

Shanal Binuksha meets Sanjay and is favoured to be the Bronze Division champion.

Kaya Daluwatte played consistent golf to beat Khvan Tejwani 4 and 3 to enter the final of the Copper Division category and defend the title she won last year. 

Thejas Rathis Kanth continued his giant killing run defeating C. Dharaniyan from the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, seeded # 3, with a convincing 2 and 1 victory to meet the top seeded Kaya Daluwatte the Copper Division defending champion. 

Thejas Rathis Kanth has defeated the # 2 and 3 seeds in the match-play format and now meets the top seed in the final. 

Nonetheless, Kaya Daluwatte is tipped to defend her title she won in 2017.

The five finals will be worked off at the RCGC from 8.00am with the feature Boys Gold Division final followed by the Girls Gold and Silver Division finals at 8.10am. 

The Silver Division Boys final at 8.20am will proceed the Bronze Division final at 8.30am and the Copper Division final over 9 Holes will tee-off at 8.40am. 

The Morning Play will be followed by a solemn prize giving where the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy for the Junior Golf Champion Boys and Girls respectively will be presented.