Nimal Wettimuny wins Oman Air Trophy

S M Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports corr

The results

Longest Drive Ladies: Jacqueline Feansen
Longest Drive Men: Johan Wasserman
Nearest to the Pin Ladies: Sumithra Ukwatte Dayananda
Nearest to the Pin Men: Glen Mathew
Winner Ladies Combined Gross: Alanka Jeiinika
Winner Men’s Combined Gross: Johan Wasserman
Oman Air Trophy Nett Runner up: Gihan Wickremasinghe
Oman Air Trophy Overall Net Winner: Nimal Wettimuny

Former SSC cricketer Nimal Wettimuny won the Oman Air Trophy at the Annual Omar Air Golf Classics 2012 organized by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman the Oman Air and worked off at the beautiful Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy on Sunday.

A large number of golfers took the field on a course which was all green with the prolonged drought ending two weeks ago. The foreign golfers from Oman, Dubai, Muscat and Kuwait who played at this championship were delighted with the facilities available at this golf course and the challenge it offered. Most of them vowed to come back next year with their friends and relations not only to play in this prestigious championship but also on a holiday tied with golf. For Oman Air this tournament was a major success.

Back to golf, Nimal Wettimuny’s performance at this championship was one of the biggest since he took to this sport about 12 years though over the years his handicap has scaled down to six which means he has been very consistent. His win brought a handsome trophy and also an air ticket to any destination operated by Oman Air.

On the first day he scored a net 37 playing to a handicap of 6 and on the second day he made a similar score to make up a combined final score of 62 which was the best in keeping with the tournament rules. But giving a little hiccups to him from behind was Gihan Wickremasinghe playing to a higher handicap of 16 when he equalled Wettimuny’s combined total of 74. But on a count back to break this deadlock Wettimuny edged out his opponent 18:37 to 18:34 which gave some indication to the intense struggle which would have witnessed in the greens.

Also registering good scores were: Berg Margerita 71 Net (hop 31), Kusal Johnpillai (hop 6), Jerry Huxtable (hop 20) order being decided on the count back, A M B Amunugama 70, Net (hop 28). Henry Fitch and T Akberally 69 Net, (hop 18 and 14 respectively), Ian Tait 68 (hop 7), Manori Jayakody 67 (hop 17), Pauline Morley 67 (hop 19).

A notable feature here was that the ‘deadlier of the species’ the women got the better of their husbands sending our warning signals that they will have to improve to avoid playing second fiddle. First it was Manori Jayakody who scored a Net 67 against Net 61 by her ‘better half the famous cricketer and ruggerite and one time club captain of Nuwara Eliya Club Sunil Jayakody. She had a clear six point lead over her stronger opponent from under the same roof. Next Sumithra Ukwatte Dayananda made 60 Net against 59 scored by her husband Dayananda Ukwatte.

She prevailed over by a whisker. Sumithra Dayananda was unlucky in another aspect when on the second day he missed the rare feat of ‘Hole in One’. A direct hit made by her in the fourth hole fell on the edge of the hole and with an inch more she would have made it to the record books. Johan Wasserman won the Omar Air Trophy for the Combined Gross total with a score of 63 over the two rounds and he is one of the finest golfers to play at Victoria with a handicap of plus one. Also registering good scores here was Nimal Wettimuni 62, Kusal Johnpillai 60, Ian Tait 54, Mark Green 45, G Mathew 43, Gihan Wickremasinghe 43, Sunil Jayakody 41, T Akberally 41, Toshiya Osawa 39.

Alanka Jeiinka from the Middle East won the Ladies Combined Gross with a score of 35 Gross. She scored 15 in the first round but improved in the second with 20.

Back in form was Sonia Boyle 34, and Manori Jayakody who performed exceptionally well in the second round with 20 gross had a total of 32. A notable feature in Manori Jayakody was that she was shuttling between Nuwara Eliya and Victoria on the same day participating in two golf championships in two different districts held on the same two days. This is purely love and dedication for the game. Others to excel were Pauline Morely 31, Sumithra Ukkwatte Dayananda 34. Notable absentees in this championship were two previous winners Suwen Selvaratnam who was playing in Nuwara Eliya at the Club Championships and Niloo Jayatillake who is currently on an overseas tour.

Expatriate Johan Wasserman completed the double by winning the longest drive for men.

A special award was made to young Henrique Engman for being the youngest golfer to participate in this championship. The Chief Guest of the occasion the Country Manager for Oman Air for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Gihan Karunaratne said that they were delighted with the success of the tournament and the large participation despite heavy flight bookings and another golf championship being worked off elsewhere on the same day coupled with the long weekend and the Eid holidays.

Four air tickets have been given away as prizes for the top events and they hoped to come in a bigger way the next time. He thanked the participants from the Middle Eastern countries for coming all the way and playing in this beautiful course and visiting this beautiful country and will be taking away with them happy memories.

Also playing a major role in staging this prestigious championship were Errol Johnston, (General Manager Victoria) Dhanushika Medagoda (Manager – Marketing Victoria), Carl Kelaart, Amali Fernando (Leo Burnett Solutions) and many others.