Rasika creates major upset

By S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

Twenty-nine year old caddie from Victoria Golf and Country Resort Rasika Ekanayake who took to golf only around five years created a major sensation when she won both the Mackwoods Trophy awarded for Nett championship) and Nuwara Eliya Cup (awarded for Gross Championship) at the 36th Mackwoods Ladies Stroke Play Golf Championship 2010 organised by the Sri Lanka Golf Union and worked off at the Victoria Golf Course at Rajawella.

Quiet Rasika Ekanayake was in such spanking form on all three days of this golf championship that playing to a handicap of 14 registered a total of 274 Nett. She was closely followed by the former Ladies Captain of Royal Colombo Golf Club Uaha de Silva who got 230 Nett playing to a handicap of 10 to finish runner up. Good scores were also registered by Manori Jayakoddy 230 (finished third on a count back), Sonia Boyle 233, Niloo Jayatillake 237, Dinali de Zoysa 234 and Sandy Sathisam 247.

In the championship for the Bronze cup for high handicappers Jyoti Baynes finished on top with 233 Nett playing to a handicap of 23. The others who excelled were Indira Tibblin 240, France de Mel 247, M. C. Selliah 267 and Linda Harris 269.

Rasika won her second major trophy in the championship when she won the Nuwara Eliya Cup for the Best Gross score. She got a total of 266 gross which was equalled by Usha de Silva but on a play off she edged out her challenger who finished as runner up.

Director, Mackwoods Ms. Shelendra Ranaweera was the chief guest and distributed the main awards along with the President of the Sri Lanka Golf Union, Lalith Ramanayake.