Tuesday, 23 July 2013 00:59
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Harin Udeshi playing off a 12 handicap dominated the Pin Fernando Trophy 2013 from the qualifying round stage winning the best qualifier award from over 100 starters.
In the knock-out stage Ranjith Jayawardena played spectacular golf annihilating both Rohith Silva and the young rising star Ishira Fernando by the same margin of 8 and 6 in the Quarter final and Semi final respectively.
In contrast Harin Udeshi was made to fight hard to all the way to defeat both Mahendra Wijerathne and Rohith Fonseka in two tight matches 1 up on the eighteenth hole on his way to the final.
However, in the final stage Harin Udeshi played a near perfect round to turn the table on Ranjith Jayawardena defeating him by a comfortable margin of 6 and 4. Both players had tentative starts but Harin playing more confidently had 2 birdies and 6 pars to finish the match just 3 over par by the 14th hole.
Harin Udeshi who started Golf in 1996 savoured the moment as the Pin Fernando trophy 2013 was his first board event victory at the RCGC. Harin said that he was under pressure to get his name on the board at RCGC since he won a board event at the Victoria Golf and Country Resort Club at Digana, the Mark Bostock Trophy 2013 earlier in the year. In contrast the runner up Ranjith Jayawardena said that having had a purple patch up to the final he lost his rhythm and could not sustain his form against Harin. This defeat meant that it was the second occasion that he was made to carry home the runner-up trophy in this event.
The Pin Fernando Trophy is one of the major events at the Royal Colombo Golf Club where the winner’s name is written on the Board at the club and becomes part of the history of this prestigious club which is now in its 134th year. The RCGC instituted this event in its centenary year 1979, to honour Sri Lanka’s greatest amateur golfer. Pin Fernando was also Chairman of UTE, the sole distributor for world renowned Caterpillar and his family business readily took the opportunity of sponsoring this event to further strengthen its ties with the sport of golf and to continue its association with the best. The tournament format too ensures that only the top eight golfers off their handicap qualify after a stroke play round to play each other in the knock-out stage in match play format. Pin Fernando excelled in match-play format.
UTE also instituted the Pam Fernando Trophy last year to be played by the lady golfers of the RCGC in memory of Pin’s wife who also made a name for herself in the golfing world by winning many National titles and also being credited in the Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest Lady to win a National Golf title. This tournament is played simultaneously with the men’s version in the same format and in its second year, 17 year old Shemali Jagoda overcame the tough challenge of the experienced Roshini Sangani winning 3 and 1 in a close final to bag the Pam Fernando Trophy. This too was the first big tournament win for her. Roshini Sangani who was Runner-up last year had to face disappointment once again but she was quick to affirm that the qualifying round and match play format in one tournament was really great and that she will be back next year to try and break the Runner-up jinx in this event.
The final was followed by a prize giving with the RCGC Captain Nimal Piyaratna and Priath Fernando Chairman of UTE the sponsors of both tournaments recalling the long history of the Pin Fernando Trophy and recognising the creditable participation and excellent Golf played over the week long tournament.
UTE sponsored and hosted a gala prize giving after the qualifying round on 13 July and the qualifiers received medals whilst special prizes were also awarded. RCGC Captain Nimal Piyaratna and UTE CEO Riyad Ismail gave away the final awards. The Pin Fernando Trophy in its 34th year and the Pam Fernando Trophy in its 2nd year is set to continue for many more years bringing out the best in the serious golfer combining stroke-play and match-play format – the ultimate challenge.
