Young Dhanushi Senadhira makes strong claim for Queen Sirikit Golf Team

by Lal Gunesekara

GOLF: Within a period of just four years, 15-year-old student of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya - Dhanushi Senadhira, has brought down her handicap to 8 from 31 in November 2003, and has made a very strong claim to be one of the three-member team to represent Sri Lanka at the Queen Sirikit Cup Golf Championships to be staged at the Victoria Golf and Country Resort in Kandy next year.

Dhanushi is the daughter of Lalin and Anusha and granddaughter of Upali and Derna de Silva nee Beling.

Dhanushi made her debut at the Queen Sirikit Cup Championships in March this year in Manila, Philippines with Thuhanshini Selvaratnam and Jackie Dias and had good scores (gross 76, nett 66 and gross 75, nett 67) at two trials in January for the Manila event, and is certain to be picked against for next year's event in Kandy.

She has the rare distinction of making a Hole-in-one on the 4th in 2005 and could be the youngest woman golfer to achieve this honour. She was 13 years then.

Dhanushi spent some time in the USA in 2004 with her uncle Saliya de Silva and followed a coaching clinic by the Knollwood Golf Club in Los Angeles, California for juniors. This was the start of her success. Shortly after her return from USA, Dhanushi won the kyundai Challenge Trophy for the best nott score and followed it up by winning the Bronze Cup competition sponsored by Woodman Lanka beating Karen Rempel.

Then in January 2005, Dhanushi, won the Gold Medal competition off a handicap of 24 with a nett 64 beating a full line-up of senior and best women's golfers. It was here she shot the Hole-in-One and was capped with her being awarded the trophy for the player with the best handicap reduction for 2004 (from 31 to 22)

She won the R.B. de Mel Challenge Trophy in the Handicap event for the Bronze Division at the Sri Lanka Amateur Championships in March 2005, and after her handicap was further reduced to 20 at the age of 13 years in winning the Bronze at the Monthly Medal in April she qualified for the Silver Division. In May, she lost to her Aunt Usha de Silva on the 18th at the Ridgeway Cup.

June saw Dhanushi following a course at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Singapore under Andrew Oliphant, and the following month (July) won the Gratien Plaque competition with a nett 69 as well as the Silver Medal in July (gross 94, nett 66) and the Ladies Medal at Victoria with gross 82, nett 66. She also won the Silver Medals in October and November 2005 and the Ladies Stableford in December with 37 points to reduce her handicap to 14.

Dhanushi won the Gold Medal for 2005 for the second consecutive year and was the Grand Prix champion too. She also won the award for the golfer with the best stroke reduction in 2005 (11 strokes). She was runner-up for the second occasion at the Ridgeway Cup in 2006, Silver Medal and Rosebowe Trophy with Aunt Usha de Silva.

She was selected for the World Junior Open in England in July 2006 where players from 63 countries were represented. Dhanushi competed in the Bronze Division which had a total of 27 players and was placed seventh. In October of the same year (2006), she was fourth at the 8th Milo Junior Championships at Victoria, won the Silver Medal competition in December and was seventh at the Grand Prix Championship.

Dhanushi continues with her great form this year too, where she participated at the Malaysian Open Championships in Laknawi in May, runner-up of the Silver Division in the June Monthly Medal, but won the Silver Division at the August Monthly Medal.

Young Dhanushi gets all encouragement and support she needs form her parents.