Vinod Weerasinghe shoots 3 under par to storm to clear lead

The Sri Lanka Junior Golf Championship, the fitting finale to the 2017 junior calendar, entered the second round of the feature junior national championship, sponsored by Prima Sunrise Bread for the 10th consecutive year.

Vinod in action on Day 2

The standard of junior golf has improved tremendously with the intense competition bringing out the best in the future stars of Sri Lanka.

Weerasinghe opened the championship with an amazing round of six birdies and eight bogeys to end the first round on 2 over par 73. However, Vinod shot a bogey-free round studded with three birdies on the seventh, ninth and twelfth to return a well composed 3 under par 68, to extend his lead to 10 strokes in the Boys’ Gold Division Age Group category, comfortably placed going into the final round on Friday morning.

Armand Flamer Caldera returned a one over par 72 to take second place on 151, behind Vinod. Darren Hall’s 81 placed him third, a further six strokes adrift.

In the Girls’ Gold and Silver Division combined, a total of nine participants are in the fray with the titanic battle for victory reaching a climax in the final round, the joint leaders after round one are locked in battle tied at 144 Even Par over 2 rounds.

Both Taniya Minel and Kayla Perera returned 1 over par 73 cards, producing excellent golf throughout. Minel opened the second round with a birdie on the first hole, made a bogey on the third and ninth to take the turn at 1 over par, birdied 15th to be Even Par but missed the green on the 16th and made a bogey to finish with 2 pars on 73.

In contrast, Kayla Perera fired five birdies on the third, ninth, 11th, 14th 15th and finished with two pars, having made two double bogeys on the second and fifth, two bogeys on the sixth and 12th, to display great resolve and brilliant golf to share the lead with Taniya in the Girls’ Gold and Silver Division. The stage is set for a tremendous battle and a tight finish as they play head-to-head in the final round at the Royal Colombo Golf Club Ridgeways. The joint leaders are lying on 144, Even Par for the Ladies Stroke Index, 40 strokes ahead of third-placed Inam Sangani.

S. Duwarshan of the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club returned a 76 to establish a three-stroke lead over T. Vikash in the Silver Division Boys Age Group Category 12-14+. Haroon Aslam of VGCR, Levon Niyarepola and K. Danushan were tied close behind the leading duo.

Shanal Binushka pulled further ahead in the Bronze Division, playing only 14 holes, with a two-round aggregate of 134, 14 strokes clear of Musa Shariff of VGCR and M. Lidurshan (NEGC) another one stroke away.

The Copper Division over nine holes per round also enters the final round with the promise of a close finish between Kaya Daluwatte on 86, Reshan Algama 89 and Kvahn Tejwani 91. The three leaders in the Copper Division Nine and Under Age Group Category will be paired off together and another tight finish is expected.

The final round of golf in the Sri Lanka Junior Golf Championship 2017, sponsored by Prima Sunrise Bread for the 10th consecutive year, promises great interest and thrilling golf with the emergence of talent and star prospects for the future of golf in Sri Lanka. The final round tees off at 7.00 a.m. and will be followed by the prize-giving at 1.30 p.m.