Tough ask for junior golfers at revived meet | Sunday Observer

Tough ask for junior golfers at revived meet

7 August, 2022

The cream of junior golfers will be seen in action at the Sri Lanka Junior Match-Play golf championship that is back after a two year break on August 9 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) course.

This championship will be sponsored by Perera and Sons Bakers and will be played for the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy.

Golfers from Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Anuradhapura are expected to enter so that they can display their talents in this prestigious event.

In this format of play every golfer has to produce their best effort to earn a win as they will play on a knock-out basis and no player can afford to play poorly as the loser will be dropped off from going further.

The tournament throws in a different format for the junior golfers where they have a qualifying round, thereafter continue in a match play format like the British Amateur championship.

Players will compete in four age categories comprising Gold division (15-18 years), Silver (12-14 years), Bronze (10-11 years) and the Copper division for those nine years and under.

Overall winner in the boys and girls categories will carry away the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy. This stage will see the best eight qualifying scores going on to play in the knock-out finals.

The inaugural tournament was played in 2014 with Prashan Pieris winning the title. The tournament was last held in 2019 and halted due to the pandemic situation. The winners that year were Taniya Balasuriya in the girls’ division and S. Dhuwashan in the boys segment.

The late Rukmini Kodagoda was a director in their family company of Perera and Sons Bakers. Ruki as she was popularly known, established herself as one of Sri Lanka’s talented sportswomen having won national titles and represented Sri Lanka in both tennis and golf. In tennis she won the national doubles and mixed doubles titles and held the prestigious position of Chairman of Sri Lanka Ladies Golf Union in 1990 and 1991 and was captain of the Ladies Section of the Royal Colombo Golf Club.

“I look forward to the tournament that is a fitting tribute to an inspiring lady who has achieved national colours in two sports and is also an inspiring personality,” said Niloo Jayatillake a member of Sri Lanka Golf and chairperson for the Junior development committee.

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