Dayananda and Suwen take Lankan Golfer UAE Titles

S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports correspondent at Victoria

Dayananda Ukwatte won the Overall Championship while Suwen Selvaratnam won the Ladies Championship at the inaugural Lankan Golfer UAE Open Golf Championship 2012 organised by the Lankan Golfers Union in United Arab Emirates and the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and worked off at the Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy.

A heavy field of 115 golfers participated in this open golf championship and this was the largest field witnessed at Victoria this year. A lot of lavish prizes were awarded and also the participating golfers were presented with many complementaries provided by the many sponsors.

The President of the Lankan Golfers Union in UAE and Managing Director, Trade Ventures Limited Julian Arnold said that this will be an annual event and will promote tourism in Sri Lanka.

The golf course was in perfect condition and the weather kept fine and the golfers enjoyed their play and stay.

Dayananda Ukwatte after many years of stay in Nepal where he played a lot of golf and having a handicap of 17 scored a Nett 39 but this score was equalled by two others -Sujeewa Lankatillake and Ajith Krishantha.

This deadlock was broken with a count back on the last nine holes with Ukwatte being ahead with 9:19 followed by Sujeewa Lankatillake 9:16 and Krishantha 9:15.

The winner Dayananda Ukwatte was awarded the Lankan Golfers challenge trophy in addition to it an air ticket from Colombo to Dubai and back be courtesy SriLankan Airlines, 3 nights hotel accommodation, two rounds of golf on championship courses in Dubai.

In the overall championship good scores were also registered by Priyantha Hapugala 37, and four golfers namely Sirath Kasthuriratne, Nishan Nawaratne, Suwen Selvaratnam and Gihan Wickremasinghe came with scores of 36 each.

The results:

Nearest to the Pin in two shots Men: Nishan Navaratne.
Nearest to the Pin Hole 4 Men: Jerome Schokman.
Straight Drive to the Line Hole 13: Hans White.
Longest Drive Ladies Hole 18: Ms S. Ukwatte
Longest Drive Men Hole 18: Anura Balasuriya.

Ladies Winner: Suwen Selvaratnam 36 points.
Mens Division 2 Winner:(Hcp 13 – 28) Ajith Krishantha 39 points.
Mens Division One winner (Hcp 0 to 12) Sidath Wettimuny 35 points.

Overall Winner of the championship: Dayananda Ukwatte 39 points.