Sri Lanka Golf Open 2011 starts today

Sri Lanka Golf Union has received a record number of 115 entries including many heavy weights for the 2011 Sri Lanka Open Golf Championship which opens today.

Twenty seven players pre-qualified been Professionals, past winners, Amateurs with single figure handicaps to add much weight and quality to the field in an outstandingly competitive Open Championship. Seven time Open Champion K.Nandasena Perera takes a crack again despite ‘ageing’, M.Amarapadma, R.A.Anura Rohana defending Champion,  many Sri Lanka National Amateur Champions such as K.Nandasena Perera - 3 time winner, D.J.D Perera, K.Prabagaran – twice winner, Mithun Perera – twice winner and the reigning Champion N.Thangarajah, B.G.Lalith Kumara – twice All India Amateur Champion and Toranshahi (Nepal) a professional currently playing on the Indian circuit alongside the Sri Lankan Professionals Mithun Perera and R.A.Anura Rohana who has to fend off all the opposition to defend his crown as the Sri Lanka Open Champ.

As many as 98 Golfers participated in the Qualifying Round to fill thirty seven places to complete the sixty four spots available for the Sri Lanka Open Championship First Round Teeing Off this morning at the Ridgeways. A former Sri Lankan Golfer J.M.D.Indika returned the best card of one over par 72 followed by B.A.Snajeewa (based in the Middle-East) 74, G.Harrison (veteran Golfer) 75.

The qualifying round was keenly contested with 12 golfers from Eagle Golf Links (China Bay – Trincomalee) the Sri Lanka Air Force Golfing Facility participated in the Open Championship for the first time and 13 Golfers from Victoria Golf and Country Resort, added to the challenge from Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and Royal Colombo Golf Club. The field of 64 players will be pruned to 40 when Cut-Off will be applied after the first 2 rounds.

There would be an added incentive to Amateur Golfers and Ladies with the Inaugural UTE –CAT Challenge Trophy 2012 for Men and the Pam Fernando Challenge Trophy for Ladies which will be conducted in conjunction with the first 2 rounds of the UTE-CAT SRI LANKA MENS OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2011

The Sri Lanka Men Open Championship 2011 is truly a ‘Heavy Weight’ Tournament with sponsorship from Caterpillar Earth Moving Equipment agents UTE been the principal sponsor and CML-MTD Construction Ltd leader in Highway and Bridge construction as a Co-sponsor and the Beverage Sponsorship been provided by Coca-Cola.