The Sri Lanka Junior Match-Play Golf Championship will tee off this year on the 21st August at the Royal Colombo Golf Club.
First day’s play will be medal round qualifying round followed by match play segment of the tournament from 22nd to 24th August. “We at P & S Bakers are delighted once again to support Sri Lanka Golf and especially junior golf by creating a competitive platform for the juniors to show their mark. Success in tournaments of this nature will be the steppingstone for international competition.” Gihan Perera, CEO/Managing Director.
This prestigious junior event is sponsored by Perera and Sons Bakers the family company of the late Ms. Rukmini Kodagoda. The junior match play championship is held yearly in the honour of Rukmini Kodagoda, who won the Sri Lanka Amateur Championship in 1979 and several other club tournaments. Ruki as she was popularly known established herself as one of Sri Lanka’s talented sports women having won national titles and represented Sri Lanka in both tennis and golf. In tennis she won the national doubles and mixed doubles titles partnering top players during her era such as Ranjani Jayasuriya, Wendy Molligoda and Bernard Pinto on several occasions.
She also held the prestigious position of Chairman Sri Lanka Ladies Golf Union in 1990 and 1991 and Captain of the Ladies Section of the Royal Colombo Golf Club. “The tournament is played for the 8th year and it’s nice to see the test of mental grit of our junior golfers given the different match play format of the championship. It also inspires me to pay tribute to a lady icon of sports Ms. Rukmini Kodagoda in Sri Lanka who has achieved double honours with national representation in golf and tennis”, Niloo Jayatilake, member Sri Lanka Golf Union – Chairperson Junior Sub Committee.
The inaugural Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Golf Championship was played in 2014 with Prashan Pieris winning the title. The tournament was not played during Covid lock down periods but resumed in 2022. The winners in 2022 was Kaya Daluwatte in the girl’s division and Haroon Aslam in the boys. Players will compete in four Age Categories Comprising Gold Division (15 -18 years), Silver (12-14 years), Bronze Division (10-11 Years) and Copper Division (9 years & under).
The overall winner of the championship will carry away the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy in the boys and girls categories. The tournament format will be based on a qualifying stroke play round for each age category, with the best eight qualifying scores going on to play in the match play knock out finals to determine the Gold, Silver, Bronze & Copper Division winners. However, girls in the Gold & Silver Division and the boys in the Gold Categories will be eligible to vie for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy and the Title of Junior Boys Champion & Junior Girls Champion respectively.
