Vijitha Bandara wins first Timothy De Silva Challenge Trophy

A Challenge Trophy was donated by the two grandsons of Timothy de Silva, Dilhan and Harin, to be given to the Best Gross Score of the Final round of the Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship held from 18 to 22 October 2011.

The Sri Lanka Amateur is the second oldest National Golf Championship after the British Championship.

Timothy de Silva was the first Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) to win the Sri Lanka Amateur in 1923 played in Nuwara Eliya Golf Club.

During the same year, Timothy De Silva won the Driving Cup with a drive of 250 yards; quite a feat at that time for an amateur golfer!

Note that the famous golfer Bobby Jones first won the US open that same year (shot 296, 16 over par), with an average drive distance of 248 yards.

The first winner of the Timothy De Silva Challenge Trophy was Vijitha Bandara with a 2 under par 71, at the recently concluded 124th Amateur Championship played at the Victoria Golf & Country Resort in Kandy.