Donald Steel Golf on February 13
S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN-Kandy Sports Correspondent at
Victoria
With a few more days to go nearly 120 entries have been received for
the 12th Annual Donald Steel Golf championship organised by the Victoria
Golf and Country Resort which will be worked off at the picturesque
Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy Saturday February 13.
Among the competitors are a good number of foreign participants who
will tie up golf with tourism with their families as normalcy has
returned to the country with the end of the ethnic war.
This will be the first major golf competition in Victoria’s golf
calendar for the year 2010 and the General Manager of the Victoria Golf
and Country Resort Australian born Errol Johnston said that we are all
out to make this event a memorable one and all arrangements have been
finalised.
This championship is an event organised as an appreciation for the
personality who designed this golf course on a 550 acre coconut
plantation and ranked among 100 most beautiful golf courses in the
world.
It has been holding its own in the Sub-Continent winning the award
for the best golf course in the Sub-Continent” for three years including
for two successive years for 2008 and 2009.”
This golf course was designed by the world famous golf architect
Donald Steel who is no ordinary personality being a top golfer himself
was the first golf writer for the Daily Telegraph” and also headed many
organisations connected with golf. The beauty of the course will have to
be seen to be believed.
Donald Steel Golf Championship was the first golf championship to be
held in 1999 after the golf course opened in 1998. The Pam Fernando Cup
and Ebert Pot were introduced into the championship in 2000 and Victoria
Bowl found its way into the championship in 2001.
The Donald Steel championship offered to the gentleman golfer
returning the best green score has been won by the following during the
past.
1999 (Chamath Kulasinghe), 2000 (David Griffith), 2001 (Martin C.
Ebert), 2002 (Alain Gyi), 2003 and 2004 (Martin C. Ebert), 2005 (Binupa
Wijesinghe), 2006 (Romesh Abhayaratne), 2007 (Sujeewa Lankatillake),
2008 (Sidath Wettimuni), 2009 (Ian Tait).
Pam Fernando Trophy offered to the lady golfer registering the best
gross score has been won by the following golfers:
2000 (Suwaneetha Selvaratnam), 2001 (Anouk Chanmugam), 2002 ( Niloo
Jayatillake), 2003 (Jackie Dias), 2004 and 2005 (Suwaneetha Selvaratnam),
2006 (Thushashini Selvaratnam), 2007 (Suwaneetha Selvaratnam), 2008 (Niloo
Jayatillake), 2009 (Suwaneetha Selvaratnam).
The defending champion of the Pam Fernando Trophy Suwaneetha
Selvaratnam has won this title five times and her daughter Thuhashini
Selvaratnam who is going great guns in Arizona in the United States once
in the year she participated. Versatile Niloo Jayatillake Twice. There
will be a gruelling battle between Suwaneethan and Niloo in a tussle for
supremacy.
the Ebert Pot which is awarded to the gentleman golfer returning the
best Net score has been won the following:
2000 (Ajith Nishantha), 2001 (Helmut Sachy), 2002 (Malik Ahamedeen),
2003 (Roshan de Silva), 2004 ((Dr. Alex Perera), 2005 (Roshan Dias),
2006 (Ian Nalder), 2007 (Andrew Udeshi), 2008 (Charlie Worral), 2009 (Suren
Wass).
The previous winners of the Victoria Bowl are:
2001 (Sally Collins), 2002 (Usha de Silva), 2003 (Indira Tibblin),
2004 (Niloo Jayatillake), 2005 (Sandie McAndrew), 2006 (Suweneetha
Selvaratnam), 2007 (Pauline Morley), 2008 (Fauline Morley), 2009 (Roshini
Sangani).
Expatriate Pauline Morley who took to golf only after taking up
residence close to Victoria is the only lady golfer to have won this
title.
**********
The previous winners of the Victoria Bowl:] 2001 - Sally
Collins 2002 - Usha de Silva 2003 - Indira Tibblin 2004 - Niloo
Jayatillake 2005 - Sandie McAndrew 2006 - Suweneetha Selvaratnam 2007 -
Pauline Morley 2008 - Fauline Morley 2009 - Roshini Sangani |
