Reshan and Kaya to tee off in Philippines

Kaya Daluwatte got her playing experience in the recent past in India

Reshan Algama will get good exposure in Philippines

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Junior Asia Pacific Golf Tournament 2023 is set to tee off at the Orchard and Country Club in Manila, Philippines on 16 May and will continue till 18 May, providing a platform for the region’s best young golfers to showcase their skills. Sri Lanka Golf Union will be represented with two stunning youngsters, Reshan Algama and Kaya Daluwatte at this tournament.

This is organised by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, and is designed to provide a competitive environment for young players to gain valuable experience and improve their game and skills to the next level. There will be players from Korea, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and hosts Philippines to tee off in the showcase of outstanding talent in the region. 

The Orchard and Country Club, with its green lawns and picturesque surroundings, is an ideal venue for such an event. The course’s challenging holes, coupled with its scenic backdrop, provide an excellent setting for the tournament.

Apart from showcasing their skills, players can also take advantage of the opportunity to network with their peers, share experiences, and learn from professionals in the sport. For some, the tournament serves as a stepping stone towards more significant opportunities in the golfing world.

Overall, the Junior Asia Pacific tournament is an exciting event that promises to offer young golfers an opportunity to shine like a star and make a mark for themselves for the future events. These opportunities are rare and such opportunities are and the Sri Lankan players are nominated via Sri Lanka Golf (SG).

Reshan started playing the sport when he was just four years old and has already achieved numerous accolades. Among his accomplishments are winning the age group champion from the age of 8, winning the Regional Junior Golf Champion three years in a row, and becoming the Sri Lanka Junior Age Group Match Play Champion in 2017. Algama aspires to become a professional golfer and play in PGA US and European tournaments, and has been nominated to represent Sri Lanka in the upcoming Asia Pacific Junior tournament in Manila in May 2023.

Reshan has already won his first Sri Lankan Amateur Golf Ranking Tournament and made history as the youngest winner of all time. He also successfully made the cut in his first international outing in a senior amateur tournament, finishing 24th in the leaderboard. Algama is part of the Sri Lanka/National Golf development squad and is regularly a winner of the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) Monthly Medal. He was shortlisted to the Sri Lanka National team squad for the Asian Olympic Games and chosen to play the trials to represent Sri Lanka. 

Reshan has won many club competitions representing two local clubs and is the youngest ever to be considered to represent his club in a prestigious event (Burdett Cup) as one of the youngest to represent Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC). With these achievements, Algama’s dream of becoming a professional golfer and representing his country in international tournaments seems well within reach. Reshan is coached by Jehan De Saram with course management provided by leading Sri Lankan professional, Anura Rohana

Kaya is an aspiring athlete of just 14 years old pinpoint accuracy in her shots began playing golf at the age of 7. Within months she fell in love with the game. Today she holds a handicap of 2 and is the youngest member of the Sri Lanka Golf Women’s National Squad. She is the winner of the Sri Lanka Junior Open Golf Championship played in 2021 and 2022 (Gold Division Girls 12-18+) and is the Royal Colombo Golf Club Ladies Section Club Champion for the past 2 years. She has played at several local and international circuits including the prestigious Junior British Open in Scotland in July 2022. 

Kaya has started playing the Indian national level tournaments and is playing against the best in India in her age category (U-16). Most recently she was placed 5th at the India Golf Union, Haryana Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship at Panchkula GC in Chandigarh and 1st at the IGU Northern India Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship at Rambagh GC in Jaipur. She will be participating at the APGC Junior Championships in Manila, Philippines and is looking forward to playing this prestigious tournament playing amongst some of the best juniors in the world.