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| Sunday, 27 June 2004 |
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Top of the ladder golfer Anura Rohana qualifies for Indian 'Pro' tour by Lal Gunasekera Sri Lanka's professional golfer Anura Rohana, finished right on top out of a field of 79 players, at the final round of the 'Q' School in Poona, India earlier this month. Thus Rohana qualified to play in the Indian Professional Golfers Association (IPGA) Tour which comprises 22 tournaments to be staged in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, too, for the first occasion between August and April next year (2005). Rohana's 13-under par three round winning score of 184 (59,58,67) is no mean feat, because the playing conditions were very tough with incessant rain and soggy conditions. On the first and second day, the par was brought down to 63 and third day to 71 due to the rains. He won by 3 strokes from Pakistan's Matloob Ahmed Rana 187 who had rounds of 58,58,71. Most of the 79 players in the final round were from India. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, while Sri Lanka's other player Lalith Kumara finished 23rd with a 7-over 204 (64,65,75), but will make a final decision if he is to turn professional only after the forthcoming SAARC Championship to be staged in India. Kumara is the reigning amateur champion in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but the Sri Lanka title has yet eluded him. In the earlier stage, Rohana came third and Lalith Kumara sixth to qualify for the final round with over 250 golfers making attempts to qualify to play on the IPGA Tour, but Rohana, finished right on top, and despite disgruntled critics, he established the fact that he still has what it takes to make it to the top of the Pro Golfers tree. He first had a dream to become a professional, and now that he is a pro, wants to win a major tournament in the world Pro Circuit. He is working on a training programmes at the moment. Only 60 players qualified to play on the IPGA Tour starting August and Rohana has now decided to play in all 22 tournaments. Last year (2003), Rohana, played in only two of tournaments on the IPGA Tour, while playing more on the Asian Professional Golfers Association (APGA) Tour where he finished 96th out of over 300 professionals. |
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