Navy ‘A’ team win Sri Lanka Inter-Club Golf Championship 2017

The second Sri Lanka Inter-Club Golf Championship successfully concluded over the weekend at the Victoria Golf and Country Resort in Digana.

The prominent member clubs, the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC), Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC) and Victoria Golf and Country Resort, the defending champs, were set to battle it out for the 2017 championship. However, Navy, having taken to the game only five years ago, were the surprise package, as they proceeded to secure the Sri Lanka Inter-Club Challenge Shield at the competition, which is in its second year.

Navy fielded two teams and ‘Navy A’ triumphed by a clear four stableford points over The Snipers representing NEGC. Lying a further four points away in joint third place were the ‘Red Dragons’ of NEGC and Navy B. The Inter-Club Golf Championship saw the participation of 20 teams while there were three other teams who entered privately to compete for the Sri Lanka Golf Overall Challenge trophy. Navy ‘A’ won the overall trophy too. Eagles 02, representing the Sri Lanka Air Force, shared fifth place with The Warrior Wedges playing for the inaugural Winners of the Challenge Shield VGCR.

The format of the competition was on net stableford point system, and each member club was entitled to nominate up to a maximum of five teams of five players each of which the best four scores were counted.

With a total of 115 players participating in the Inter-Club Golf Championship, the individual events were closely fought over and Ahalya Rajan, playing for The Incredible Irons of VGCR, won a return air ticket from SriLankan Airlines for her score of 41 points which was the best overall net stableford points score. Avinesh Nareshkumar, a promising youngster playing for the NEGC, recorded the best gross stableford score with 34 points to also receive a return air ticket to Kuala Lumpur from SriLankan Airlines.

There were special prizes on offer and Sumithra Ukwatte (RCGC) won the nearest to the Pin for the Ladies, whilst Louise Huxtable nee Parsons (VGCR) was the Longest Driver among the ladies.

G.V.C. Udayanga (Navy ‘A’) was the nearest to the Pin for the Men while R.M.S. Rupasinghe (Navy ‘B’) crowned himself the longest hitter among the men.

Day 2 of the Inter-Club Golf Championship attracted 85 players competing in SLGU events on a stableford points basis for individual trophies and three-member teams were randomly drawn based on their handicap. The three-member team comprising Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, A.C. Mogan and Shirani Buffin won the Dudley Senanayake Cup for the best team net score aggregate of 105 points, three points ahead of the runner-up team represented by Sam Gunaratne, W.G.D.P. Karunaratne and S. Kasturiratne. The same team of Sanjeewa, Shirani and Mogan won the Lever Challenge Shield for the best team gross score, with an aggregate of 78 points, a clear margin of 15 points from the runners-up team of Avinesh Nareshkumar, I.P.P.K. Illangaratne and former Test cricketer Amal Silva.

The Lever Cup for the best Individual Gross score was won by Ronan Hall with 31 points, whilst the RCGC Cup for the best net stable-ford score was won by I.P.P.K. Illangaratne of the Diyatalawa Army Golf Cantonment, scoring an astounding 44 points.

The Sri Lanka Golf Union (SLGU) conducted the event in a grand style with the cooperation of the PRIME Group of Companies, the Prime Sponsors of the event, Goodwill Sponsors Exotic Asian Living by Pership and BAM Green Solar. 

SriLankan Airlines awarded two return air tickets to Kuala Lumpur as Awards Sponsor together with Pro Golf & Precious House, who gifted the special prizes for the Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin. The Inter-Club Golf Championship participants were refreshed by Sun Aqua (bottled mineral water), Elephant House (soft drinks) and Ceylon Brewery Ltd. 

The Inter-Club Golf Championship was followed by an entertaining evening of music, cocktails and dinner. The awards ceremony for the Inter-Club Golf Championship was the highlight of the evening with SLGU President Priath Fernando giving the Inter-Club Championship Shield to the winners Navy ‘A’ and runners-up The Snipers of NEGC.

The Prime Sponsors were represented by Prime Residencies Sales Manager Aravinda Gamage, who gave away the Overall Challenge Trophy to the winners Navy ‘A’ again and the runners-up medals to The Snipers. 

In the individual events Ian Tait of VGCR won two gold medals in the Seniors category with Condrad Karunaratne returning the best Net and Gross stableford scores.

Ahalya Rajan, the overall best individual winner, won two gold medals in the Ladies’ category best Net and Gross score points respectively from Manori Jayakodi and Kayla Perera, who received silver medals.

Second Sri Lanka Inter-Club Golf Championship 2017 results at a glance

Sri Lanka Inter-Club Golf Champions 2017 – Navy ‘A’ Team – 144 points

D.M.P.P. Bandara 35, G. Sridharan 34, T. Shivakumar 40, G.V.C. Udayanga 35, M.K.A.P. Gunawardana

Runners-up – The Snipers (NEGC) -140 points

Suweneetha Selvaratnam 34, Sunil Jayakodi 33, Gen. Srinath Rajapakse 37, Chamara Abeyratne 37 and Priyanga Hapugalle

Sri Lanka Team Championship Overall 2017

Winners: Navy ‘A’ Team – 144 points

D.M.P.P. Bandara, G. Sridharan, T. Shivakumar, G.V.C. Udayanga, M.K.A.P. Gunawardana

Runners-up: The Snipers (NEGC) – 140 points

Suweneetha Selvaratnam, Sunil Jayakodi, Gen. Srinath Rajapakse, Chamara Abeyratne, Priyanga Hapugalle

Best Overall Individual Nett Stableford Score – Ahalya Rajan (The Incredible Irons) 41 points

Best Overall Individual Gross Stableford Score – Avinesh Nareshkumar (Red Dragons) 34 points

Men’s Best Gross Score – Avinesh Nareshkumar (Red Dragons) 34 points

Runner-up – T. Shivakumar (Navy ‘A’) 33 points

Men’s Best Net Score - T. Shivakumar (Navy ‘A’) 40 points

Runner-up – W.N. Waiddyaratne (Navy ‘B’) 39 points

Ladies’ Best Gross Score - Ahalya Rajan (The Incredible Irons - VGCR) 26 points

Runner-up - Kayla Perera (Red Dragons-NEGC) 26 points (Count back)

Ladies’ Best Net Score - Ahalya Rajan (The Incredible Irons- VGCR) 41 points

Runner-up – Manori Jayakodi (The Warrior Wedges - VGCR) 39 points

Seniors Best Gross Score – Ian Tait (The Warrior Wedges-VGCR) 25 points

Runner-up – Condrad Karunaratne (Thunderbirds - NEGC) 20 points

Seniors Best Net Score – Ian Tait (The Warrior Wedges - VGCR) 35 points

Runner-up – Condrad Karunaratne (Thunderbirds-NEGC) 30 points

Nearest to the Pin 16th Hole – 

Ladies: Sumithra Ukwatte (RCGC 2) Men: G.V.C Udayanga (Navy ‘A’)

Longest Drive on the 18th Hole –

Ladies: Louise Parsons (The Happy Hybrids) Men: R.M.S. Rupasinghe (Navy ‘B’)

Sri Lanka Golf 

Union events

Dudley Senanayake Cup –Team Net

Winners: 105 points                                        Runners Up: 102 points

Sanjeewa Wickramanayake                           Sam Gunaratne

A.C. Mogan                                                        W.G.D.P. Karunaratne

Shirani Buffin                                                     S. Kasthuriratne

Levers Shield – Team Gross

Winners: 78 points                                               Runners-up 63 points (count back)

Sanjeewa Wickramanayake                                Avinesh Nareshkumar

A.C. Mogan                                                              I.P.P.K. Illangaratne

Shirani Buffin Amal Silva

Levers Cup – Best Individual Gross

Winner: Ronan Hall 31 points

Runner-up: R.M.S. Rupasinghe 30 points (Count Back)

RCGC Cup - Best Individual Net

Winner: I.P.P.K. Illangaratne 44 points

Runner-up: S.D.T.K. Priyankara 38 points (Count Back)