Tait and Elizabeth win Srilankan Airlines Golf trophies
 

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports correspondent reporting from Victoria

Englishman Ian Tait and English Lady Elizabeth put up sterling displays to win the Gentlemen and Ladies Tenth Anniversary Trophies of the Srilankan Airlines at the 10th Annual SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by the SriLankan Airlines and concluded at the Victoria Golf Course at Rajawella off Kandy.

Over 250 golfers from over 15 countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Kuwait, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar, Switzerland and many others participated in this what is termed as the biggest golf championship held in Sri Lanka, which went over for four days and the golfers enjoyed themselves.

Most of them who are used to the flat terrain in most other countries found Victoria golf course challenging with Mara and Jak forests and coconut palms and the rolling hill sides and natural rock outcrops and the undulating plain.

Englishman Ian Tait who is domiciled in Sri Lanka was the toast of the Sri Lankans as he carried away the prised 10th Anniversary challenge trophy with a gross score of 58. He played to a handicap of 5 got a gross 28 in the first round followed up with gross 30 on the second day. He also won the trophy for the Men's Best Aggregate Gross Stableford score. Ian Tait who resides in the hill capital is a regular player at Victoria, perhaps has knowledge of the course coupled with his golfing skills helped him to win the two major trophies.

Elizabeth Noble from 'Old Blighty' who has been playing regularly in this championship won the 10th Anniversary Challenge trophy for the Ladies with a gross score of 45 and she too played to a handicap of five. She got 21 gross an the first round and gross 24 in the second round. But she was given a tough time by our own Suwen Selvaratnam with a gross 44 to finish first runner-up by a mere point.

Suwen Selvaratnam got 24 in the first round but managed only 20 in the second which blew up her chances. Pat Rodgers finished third runner-up with gross 43 after a closely fought battle with the first two.

The locals to shine were Sam Gunaratne who won the trophy for the Best Nett Score on Day 2 with Nett 39. He got 35 Nett on day one making a total of Nett 74 which was the score made by the ultimate winner Chaim Kim Seng but a lapse on his part put him out of contest.

Fifteen-year-old schoolboy from Ecole International School, Digana, Chamil Wickremasinghe continued his trail of success when he won the Junior Division title with 69 nett - 36 in the first round and 33 in the second. He also finished second runner up with a gross 55 in the Men's Best Aggregate Stableford score and just 3 points away from the winner Ian Tait.

A little more effort by this highly skilled schoolboy would have created the biggest upset in the ten-year-old history of this championship.

Manori Jayakoddy of Hyundai Motor Company also made her presence felt by finishing third in the Women's Best Aggregate Nett Stableford score with Nett 68. Manori Jayakoddy got 36 in the first round and 32 in the second.

Chris Holloway another Englishman based in Kandy and a regular player at Victoria finished third in the Best Aggregate Nett Stableford Score with 71 nett made up by 32 on the first round and 39 in the second. Thus Victoria Golf Club's Ian Tait, Sam Gunaratne, Chamil Wickremasinghe and Chris Holloway kept up Sri Lanka's flag with their excellent play in this highly competitive championship.

The distribution of awards took place at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel with the Chief Executive Officer of the SriLankan Airlines distributing the main awards and the SriLankan Airlines Head of the Corporate Division and Communications Chandana de Silva acting as the Master of Ceremonies with his own rendition of 'Wooden Heart'.