The Junior Match-Play Golf Championship for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy Sponsored by Perera & Sons Bakers Ltd teed-off on Tuesday is the only Match-play Tournament for the junior golfers. The Match-play format is a test of character, skill and temperament which are unique features for a top professional golfer.
The British Amateur Championship is the oldest in the Match-play format first played in 1881 and is followed by the Ceylon Amateur Golf Championship which is the second oldest Match-play tournament in the world.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of P & S Bakers the Junior Match-play Golf Championship is being played for the seventh year attracting over 70 entries in five age group categories.
The Junior Golf Match Play Championship is played in the memory of the Late Rukmini Kodagoda, a member of the P&S Bakers family business and a revered double international representing Sri Lanka in Tennis and Golf.
Haroon Aslam fired a 4 under par 67 to claim the top seed position in the Match-play draw in the Gold Division for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy. Yannik Kumara and K. Danushan of Nuwara Eliya Golf Club carded even par 71 to gain the 2nd and 3rd seed in the Match-play draw of the top eight qualifiers.
Kaya Daluwatte returned a 1 over par 73 in the Girls Gold Division to be seeded No. 1 whilst Sherin Mithara is seeded No. 2 with the second-best card in the Girls Age Category of 15 - 18+.
Reshan Algama secured the top seed position with a 76 in the Silver Division from Jacob Norton and Adithya Weerasinghe from (Anuradhapura) who shared second with a card of 80. The Bronze Division had a clear Top Seed with Thejas Rathis Kanth on 61 from 2nd placed Mohamed Saqeer Zuhar on 91.
In the Boys and Girls age group 9+ & under for the Copper Division, played over 9 holes, Danik Daluwatte led the seeding with 50, closely followed by Jaeden Sathasivam 54, Yuva Rathis Kanth 54, Anuja Methsara 56 and Talia Silva the only girl in the field with 57, promising to be a closely fought out battle for the Copper Division winner.
The P&S Sri Lanka Junior Golf Match-play championship, sponsored by P&S Bakers group, entered the knock-out stage, with the quarter final matches worked off with the seeded players moving through comfortably bar the thrilling cliff-hanger match between Jacob Norton Seeded 3 in the Silver Division and Varun Fernando (6thSeed) who fought all the way to take the match to the 20th Hole, where Jacob prevailed.
Jacob Norton meets 2nd Seeded H.D. Adithya Weerasinghe (Anuradhapura) who beat T. Deshan 6 & 4 comfortably. The Top Seeded Reshan Algama beat Kaiyan Johnpillai convincingly 7 & 6, and faces 5th Seeded Jevahn Sathasivam who defeated 4th Seeded Keshav Algama with an easy 7 & 6 victory.In the Gold Division, second seeded Yannik Kumara withdrew after the qualifying round as he is scheduled to play in a tournament overseas and was not included in the match-play draw.
The top seed Haroon Aslam breezed through to the Semi-final pulverizing W.G.Isurur Shimal 9 &7 and will meet Pranav Muralidharan the 4th seed who handsomely beat experienced T. Vikash 7 & 6. In the bottom half of the Junior Champion Draw, 2nd Seeded K. Danushansmahed Thenuk Sathnidu 8 & 7. He will play third seed Vinuka Weerasinghe who beat YehanKenthula6 & 4.
In the Girls Gold Division Seed # 1 Kaya Daluwatte meets Yehani Perera who received a Walk Over from Dhanushi Wanasinghe. 3rd Seed Dhavinka Kanag-Isvaran beat R.M. Dinumi Sanjana 7 & 6 to set-up the second Semi-final against 2nd Seed Sherin Balasuriya who also received a Walk Over from Sanduni Wanasinghe.
The Bronze Division Semi-Final clash between top seed Thejas Rathis Kanth and Keya Abhayaratne on Thursday will be the feature battle. Keya Abhayaratne defeated Kaitlyn Norton 6 & 5 to set-up the Semi-final match versus the top seed Thejas. In the bottom half of the draw Seed 2 Mohamed Saqeer Zuhar meets 3rd seeded Yehansa Senananayake.
The Copper Division played over nine-holes, Yuvan Rathis Kanth beat L.G.Anuja Methsara 6 & 4 to meet the 2nd Seed Jaeden Sathasivam in one Semi-final whilst in the top half of the draw top seed Danik Daluwatte faces Taalia Silva.
The Semi-final Matches in all five age group categories, Teed-off early morning yesterday at the Ridgeways in Colombo.
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