Binupa wins Donald Steel Trophy
S M Jiffrey Abdeen- Kandy Sports Correspondent at
Victoria
Binupa Wijesinghe back on a holiday after a six year stay in Canada
put up a sterling display to win the 15th version of the Donald Steel
Golf Championship organized by Victoria Golf and Country Resort and
sponsored by mobile service provider Etisalat Lanka Limited and worked
off to a full house at the award winning beautiful Victoria golf course
at Rajawella off Kandy.
The number of participants which exceeded 125 was one of highest ever
and among them were a large number of foreign golfers which augurs well
for the future of golf tourism in the country and all credit should go
to the organisers, Victoria Golf and Country Resort and the sponsors
Etisalat who came forward to sponsor this major golfing event.
The Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa was the Chief
Guest and distributed the main award along with Ms Udeni Rambukwella (Etisalat),
Lif Bostock (Director-Rajawella Holdings), Robert Lee (Chief
Communication Officer – Etisalat), Christy Thornton (Chairman Rajawella
Holdings), and Sabry Abuthahir (MD – Travel Choice).
Enormously talented Binupa Wijesinghe first won the Donald Steel
Championship in the year 2005 as a 15 year old schoolboy before going
over to America to pursue higher studies. While studying he continued
playing golf and his handicap has now scaled down to plus one. A
jubilant Binupa said that it is in this golf course I learnt my golf as
a kid when my mother Samanthi Wijesinghe (a former national hockey
player) used to drive all the way from Colombo to Victoria for me to
play golf and on other days its uncle Sidath Wettimuny who brings me to
Victoria along with his son Sanjay. We are family friends and I am
grateful to them.
Donald Steel Championship was a hotly contested one with both local
and foreign golfers striving hard to win the plum.
Binupa Wijesinghe with a one over par collected 34 points and was a
clear four strokes ahead of the runner up, teenager Zaffer Sikkander who
had 31. In third place was Latif Rohitha with 30 points. The others who
registered good scores were Gerard Fernando 29, Lalith Rohitha, Sidath
Wettimuni, Sujeewa Lankatillake, Johann Wessermann 28 each, Sanjeewa
Wickremanayake 27, Ian Tait and Gihan Wickremasinghe 26 each. Among the
participants was former world motorcross champion Rolf Tibblin who
though pushing 75 years did extremely well to finish.
The plum for the ladies the Pam Fernando (ladies gross) was won by
versatile golfer Suwen Selvaratnam who registered a fine 23 and her
regular challenger for the top spot Niloo Jayatillake was three strokes
behind with 20 to end up as the runner up. Manori Jayakody of ‘Hyundai
fame’ put up a sizzling performance to finish second runner up with 19 –
perhaps her best ever performance in this championship. The others to
excel were Jyoti Hayness and Pauline Morley 17 each, Abe Herath,
Margarett Dearess Penn, Sumithra Ukwatte Dayananda 15 each, Sonia Boyle
and Maleena Bileen 14 each.
Suwen Selvaratnam has now won the Pam Fernando Cup seven times since
it was first awarded in 2000. Her opponent for the top spot in most
championships another talented golfer Niloo Jayatillake has won it four
times. This is an indication how this duo have dominated the ‘plum’ for
ladies as they have together won it 11 times. Suwen's daughter
Thuhashini won it in 2006 – the only time she participated. The other
winners have been Anouk Chanmugam and Jacqueline Dias.
Gerard Fernando playing to a handicap of 12 lifted the Ebert Pot with
a Net 40. Not far behind was Japanese Asakawa Yukiyasum with a Net 39
playing to a handicap of 8. Finishing second runner up was Shadeesh
Balasubramaniam with a Net 38 playing to handicap of 27. The others to
get good scores were with handicaps mentioned within brackets. Sidath
Wettimuni 37 (9), Gihan Wickramasinghe 37 (13), Zahir Moghal 37 (16),
Amal Cabraal 34 (13), Zaffer Sikkander 36 (6), Milinda Ratnayaka 36
(18), Sanjeewa Wickremanayake 35 (8), Carl Kelaart 35 (24).
Victoria Bowl offered for the Ladies Net was won by Maleena Bileen
with a Net score of 41 playing to a handicap of 31. In second place was
foreigner Stogun Gudrun with 39 Net playing to a handicap of 36. The
second runner up was Shirani Buffin with 37 Net playing to a handicap of
29. In fact there was a tie for this berth with Sumudu Desinghe too
making 37 Net but Shirani edged her out on a count back on the last nine
holes 9:20 to 9:19.
Dayananda Ukwatte won the Nearest to the Pin for men while the same
event for ladies was won by Katerina Wessman.
Sanjaya Wettimuni back in the island after a lapse of four years won
the longest drive for men and Irin Scratt lifted this event for ladies.
The results:
Etisalat Elite Club prize for best Net score: Sumudu Desinghe.
Nearest to the Pin-Men's: Dayananda Ukwatte.
Nearest to the Pin-Ladies: Katerina Wessman.
Longest Drive-Men's: Sanjaya Wettimuni
Longest Drive-Ladies: Irin Scratt.
Victoria Bowl – Ladies Net: Winner – Maleena Billeen
Runner-up: Stegun Gudrun.
Ebert Pot-Men's Net: Winner-Gerard Fernando.
Runner-up: Yuki Asakawa.
Pam Fernando Cup; Ladies gross: Winner-Suwen Selvaratnam
Runner up: Niloo Jayatillake.
Donald Steel Trophy – Men's gross: Winner – Binupa Wijesinghe 34
Runner-up: Zaffer Sikkander 30
Second runner-up: Lalith Rohitha 28. |
