Lexmark Golf Championship:

Suren and Jyoti take Men's and Ladies Nett Titles

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports correspondent at Victoria

Suren Waas (Men's Nett), Mithun Perera (Men's Gross), Jyoti Haynes (Ladies Nett) and Sonia Boyle (Ladies Gross) stole the limelight at the inaugural Lexmark Golf Championship organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by East West Informatics Systems (EWIS) worked off at the Victoria Golf course, Rajawella over the weekend.

Suren Waas was the toast of the championship winning the Lexmark competition with score of 45 nett playing to a handicap of 20. Suren Waas on his way to championship title had two birdies and six pars missed the Eagle by an inch which otherwise would have further improved on his overall performance.

An old Trinitian took to golf only 14 months ago playing most of his golf at Victoria and he calls himself a product of Victoria. During this 14 months his handicap has scaled down from 36 to 20 by consistent performance and he has also won two major trophies in Eberts Pot in the Donald Steel Championship and the Etihad Airlines Tournament.

The above were the best scores in the main competition for the Lexmark Stableford championship.

Sri Lanka's national golf champion Mithun Perera with the hassle of handicap not there, won the men's gross championship with a comfortable score of 41 gross.

The second placed Vijitha Bandara of Victoria Golf Club was far down with a seven point gap registering 34 points.

This duo was followed by Sujeewa Lankatillake 33, Mangala Niyarapola 31, Shriron Fernando 28 on a better count back, Nimal Hettiarachchi 28, Bandula Weerasinghe 27, on a better count back, Shihan Ramanayake 27, Suren Waas 26 on a better count back, David Evans 26, Errol Johnston 26, Sunil Jayakoddy 24, Chamil Wickremasinghe 24, Mihindu Chandrasoma 23, Nimal Wettimuni 23, Priath Fernando 23.

The Ladies Nett competition for the Lexmark Trophy was won by expatriate Jyoti Haynes with a nett score of 21 playing to a handicap of 21. Jyoti Haynes took to golf many years ago when she was domiciled in Warsaw. Poland but improved on her skills by playing regularly at Victoria where she is a resident now. In second place was Linda Harris 35 playing to a handicap of 20.

The other top performers in this competition were Pauline Morley 35 (handicap 21), Lilian Perera 34 (handicap 36), Sonia Boyle 33 (handicap 16), Frank de Mel 30 (handicap 28), Pran de Mel 29 (handicap 27), Indira Tibblin 29 (handicap 21) and Manori Jayakoddy 27 (handicap 21).

The emerging champion from Victoria expatriate Sonia Boyle put up another fine performance to lift the Ladies Gross title with a top score of 19 and two golfers tied for the second place with 17 points but Jyoti Haynes on a better count back finished runner-up followed by Pauline Morley. Good scores were also registered by Linda Harris (15), Indira Tibblin (12), Manori Jayakoddy (11) and Lilian Perera (7).

Lilian Perera, a Britisher now married to Kingsley Perera and settled down in Sri Lanka and a regular player at Victoria gave out her best performance when she won the Nearest to the Pin for Ladies. The Nearest to the Pin for men was won by cricketer Sam Gunaratne.

The results

The Longest Drive Ladies: Jyoti Haynes

The Longest Drive Men: Mithun Perera

Nearest to the Pin Ladies: Lilian Perera

Nearest to the Pin Men: Sam Gunaratne

Lexmark Ladies Net: Jyoti Haynes

Lexmark Men Net: Suren Waas

Lexmark Ladies Gross: Sonia Boyle

Lexmark Men Gross: Mithun Perera

Lexmark Division A winner: Mangala A. Niyarapola

Lexmark Division B winner: Ajith Krishantha