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Thursday, 4 May 2017 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The picturesque Nuwara Eliya Golf Course, set in the centre of Nuwara Eliya town, was buzzing with Sri Lanka’s best amateur golfers teeing off in the May edition of the Pin Fernando Grand Prix, powered by CAT Solar, sponsored by United Tractor and Equipment Ltd.
B.A. Sanjeewa opened the May edition with a two under par 69 and followed up with a two over par second round, to lead the field of 60 golfers on an even par 142, six strokes clear of veteran Navinda Ranga on 148.
Young Vinoth Kumar, the local lad stationed in Qatar working at the DOHA Golf Club, flew in on Monday and returned a three over par 74 and a second round 77, to lie in third place on 151, nine shots behind the leader.
The talented golfers of Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Air Force added to the challenge at the Monthly Grand Prix, whose scores were calculated for the World Amateur Golf Rankings conducted by the Sri Lanka Golf Union.
The improvement and progress of the standard of amateur golf has been enhanced by the participation of golfers from the Defence Services.
The cut-off was implemented at 166 and the challenging conditions of the magnificent Nuwara Eliya Golf Course restricted the qualifiers to only 14. Three Navy golfers and one each from Air Force and Army, along with a local lad from Nuwara Eliya, made the cut, completed by the strong Colombo challenge of eight of the best. Amarapadma, Sisira Kumara, Indika and the late Arumugam were the notable absentees in the field. Lamindu Rainika is the sole qualifier from the junior category and is in joint 11th place.
CAT Solar Pin Fernando Grand Prix 2017 – May edition standings after two rounds
142 – B.A. Sanjeewa 69, 73 (RCGC)
148 – Navinda Ranga 74, 74 (RCGC)
151 – Vinoth Kumar 74, 77 (NEGC)
154 – M.H. Chalitha Pushpika (RCGC), M.U. Chanaka Perera (RCGC), D.M. Pradeep Bandara (Navy)
163 – H.M.D.S. Bandara (AF), R.M.S. Rupasinghe (Navy), Rosana Prasad (RCGC)
164 – Lamindu Rainika (RCGC), R. Sureshan (RCGC)
165 – G.I. Dilranga (Navy)
166 – H.L.S. Sanathchandra (Army)
