Friday Jul 17, 2026
Friday Jul 17, 2026
Wednesday, 8 July 2026 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shamseer Jaleel
Nadaraja Thangaraja stormed into the lead with a sparkling seven-under-par 65 on the opening day of the E-WIS Sri Lanka Professional Golf Championship 2026 at the Victoria Golf Resort yesterday.
His flawless display gave him a six-shot cushion over the rest of the field and put him firmly in control heading into the second round.
Experienced professional Chalitha Pushpika emerged as Thangaraja’s closest challenger after carding a steady one-under-par 71 to occupy second place. Pushpika combined accuracy off the tee with a composed putting performance to stay within reach of the leader.
Anura Rohana shared third place after returning an opening-round 73 alongside Priya Hemantha and Chanaka Perera.
With three players tied for third, the race for the title is expected to intensify over the final two rounds. Several other leading professionals, including Mithun Perera, N. Amarapathma, Lalith Kumara and Haroon Aslam, remain well placed to challenge if they can produce low scores over the next two days.
