Jackie Dias wins women's title

by Lal Gunesekera

Jackie Dias won the Sri Lanka Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championships at the Ridgeways of the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) on Friday for the first time, beating a former national champion, Anouk Chitty (nee Chanmugam) in the final on the 37th hole in a terrific tussle for supremacy.

Shayanika Fernando (gross 81) won the Leonard Pieris Cup (best gross first-round), while the Firestone/ Japson Cup (best nett first-round) was won by South Korean J. S. Kim Choo (nett 68). Dinusha Senadhira won the Pin Fernando Trophy (best aggregate nett score over the two rounds) with 139 (72,67) with Kim Choo also 139 (68,71) as the runner-up.

Shayanika Fernando 160 (81,79) won the Lilamani Weeraratne Trophy (best aggregate gross over the two rounds) from Dinusha Senadhira 161 (83,78), while on the second day of medal rounds, Dinusha Senadhira (nett 67) won the Silver Division (0 to 20), Sandra Ramanayake the Bronze Division (21 to 36) with nett 64, while M. Ekanayake beat H. R. Yoo 2 and 1 to win the F. B. de Mel Cup.

Sri Lanka 'A' comprising Tissa Chandradasa (70,69) and Mithun Perera (67,69) won the team event for the Parakamedi Trophy over Bangladesh represented by Shahid Khan (72,70) and Mohamed S. Rahman (67,69). Sri Lanka 'C' M. Arumugam (69,72) and J. M. L. Indika (73,72) were third with Pakistan (Thariq Mehmood (72,74) and Mohamed Ali Hai (70,72) fourth, Sri Lanka 'B' fifth (K. Prabagaran 70.75) and J. J. Kumar (73,71) joint fifth with India (Jasifft Singh 70,72) and Gagan Verma (71,76), while Pakistan 'B' were sixth with Safdar Khan (70,74) and Vaqas Ahamed (77,74).

Sri Lanka also won the team event for the Zia-ul-Haq Trophy with Tissa Chandradasa (69), Mithun Perera (69), K. Prabagaran (75) and J. J. Kumar (71) reigning over Pakistan represented by Thariq Mehmood (74), Mohamed Ali Hai (72), Safdar Khan (74) and Vaqas Ahamed (74).

The Dudley Senanayake Cup (team best nett score) was won by the team comprising Mithun Perera (71), Amal Tudawe (78) and D. M. Hettiarachchi (77) from Richard Gunawardene (74). Professor A. H. Sheriffdeen (76) and General Rohan de S. Daluwatte (78), while the Levers Shield (team best gross score) was won by the team of Mithun Perera (69), Amal Tudawe (99) and D. M. Hettiarachchi (90) from the team comprising Richard Gunawardene (81), Professor A. H. Sheriffdeen (92) and General Rohan de S. Daluwatte (98).

Mithun Perera (gross 69) won the Levers Cup (individual gross score) from young Binupa Wijesinghe (gross 72), while the RCGC Cup (individual nett score) was won by Binupa Wijesinghe (nett 70) on a better back 9 from Bandula Weerasinghe.

Nimal Hettiarachchi 159 (79,80) won the Havelock Trophy of the Seniors Championship (gross score over two rounds) from Shiran de Soysa 173 (90,83), while the L. V. R. Fernando Trophy (nett score over two rounds) was also won by Nirmal Hettiarachchi 143 (71,72) from Shiran de Soysa 147 (77,70).

Mohamed Siddikur Rahman won the Victoria Cup (individual gross in first round of the Men's Open) with a 67 on a better back 9 from Mithun Perera.

[email protected]