Rashid Khan wins JAT Sri Lanka Open 2016 in sensational finish

Multiple winner in the Asian Tour golf tournament Rashid Khan from Bangalore, India, came from 4 strokes behind Hole-in-One sensation Syed Saqib Ahmed to become the first overseas player to win the Sri Lanka Open that was first played in 1970.

Over the past three years, professional Sri Lankan golfers have made an impact on the Indian Tour. Indian Professionals, too, started competing in the Sri Lanka Open.

The JAT Sri Lanka Open 2016 with a grand prize of Rs. 2.5 million and played in windy conditions and slick greens on a well prepared course presented an excellent challenge to its international participants. 

It was only the top three from India that were under par, with Rashid Khan firing two birdies and an eagle on the 14th, 15th& 17th to seal his first victory on Sri Lankan soil.

Syed Saqib Ahmed and Rashid Khan started the final round tied on 4 under par, but soon Saqib opened with a birdie on the 1st, dropped a shot on the par 3, 4th hole but birdied his ‘hole in one hole’ the 6th, then the  7th and 10th to be 4 strokes ahead of Rashid. However, Rashid birdied 14th to Saqib’s par and then the impossible happened, when Saqib had a double bogey on the par 5, 15th, where Rashid fired an eagle to go 1 stroke ahead. Saqib made three pars on the 16th, 17th & 18th, but Rashid sealed the deal with an amazing birdie on the tough par 4, 17th hole to capture the JAT Sri Lanka Open 2016 by 2 strokes. Whilst the battle for the JAT Open was on, Khalin Joshi quietly birdied the 12th, 14th & final 18th hole to return a 3 under closing round and crept up on Syed Saqib Ahmed to tie for 2nd place on 5 under par overall.

B. A. Sanjeewa and Anura Rohana tied in 4th place, while defending Champion Thangaraja tied with Mithun Perera in 6th place. Danyaal Jehangir from Pakistan finished in 8th place, with 2015 runner-up M. Dharma and dual winner in 2013 & 2014 Prabagaran completing the Top 10.

The JAT Sri Lanka Open was an outstanding success thanks to the Title Sponsorship of JAT Holdings and the co-sponsorship of UTE CAT. The beverage Sponsor Pet Packaging (Pvt) Ltd, the Venue Host the Royal Colombo Golf Club, combined to assist the Sri Lanka Golf Union to conduct a Professional Open, laying the platform to organise a Sri Lanka Professional Golf Tour by 2017, a media communiqué said.

The top 10 prizes were given away by Captain RCGC Primal Wijeyanayake, Nalin Manoratne representing co-sponsor UTE CAT, High Commissioner of India Y. K. Sinha, High Commissioner of Pakistan S. S. Hussain, President Sri Lanka Golf Union Priath Fernando. Tthe winner’s cheque and trophy were given away by Managing Director JAT Holdings Aelien Gunawardena on behalf of the title sponsor.

A special certificate was awarded by the Sri Lanka Golf Union to Syed Saqib Ahmed for his hole-in-one feat on the Par 4, 6th hole during the 2nd round together with a trophy presented by Chairman JAT Holdings Siva Selliah and a notepad gifted by Priath Fernando on behalf of ABC Computers & UTE CAT the Co-sponsors of the JAT Sri Lanka Open 2016. 

JAT SRI LANKA OPEN 2016 FINAL STANDINGS

277 – Rashid Khan (Ind) WINNER

279 – KhalinJoshi (Ind), Syed Saqib Ahmed (Ind)

286 – R. A. AnuraRohana, B. A. Sanjeewa,

287 – Mithun Perera, N. Thangaraja,

288 – Danyaal Jehangir (Pak)

289 – M. Dharma

290 – K. Prabagaran

292 – B. G. Lalith Kumara

293 – G. M. Pradeep Kumara

294 -  Vijitha Bandara, Sisira Kumara, M. WaseemRana (Pak)