The Sri Lanka Junior Match-Play Golf Championship for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy will tee off on August 21 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) course.
First day’s play will be the qualifying round followed by match play segment of the tournament from August 22 to 24.
Perera and Sons Bakers will be the sole sponsor of this championship as it was the family business of the Kodagodas.
“We at P&S Bakers are delighted once again to support Sri Lanka golf and especially junior golf, by creating a competitive platform for the juniors to show off their talent. Success in tournaments of this nature will be the stepping stone for international competitions,” said Gihan Perera, CEO/Managing Director of Perera and Sons Bakers.
The junior match play championship is held yearly in honour of Rukmini Kodagoda, who won the Sri Lanka Amateur Championship in 1979 and several other club tournaments.
Ruki, as she was popularly known, established herself as one of Sri Lanka’s talented sportswomen, having won national titles and represented Sri Lanka in both tennis and golf.
In tennis she won the national doubles and mixed doubles titles partnering top players during her era such as Ranjani Jayasuriya, Wendy Molligoda and Bernard Pinto on several occasions. She also held the prestigious position of Chairperson, Sri Lanka Ladies Golf Union in 1990 and 1991 and Captain of the Ladies Section of RCGC.
“The tournament is played for the eighth year and it’s nice to see the test of mental grit of our junior golfers given the different match play format of the championship. It also inspires me to pay tribute to a lady icon of sports Rukmini Kodagoda in Sri Lanka who has achieved double honours with national representation in golf and tennis,” said Niloo Jayatilake, member Sri Lanka Golf – Chairperson Junior Sub Committee.
The inaugural Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Golf Championship was played in 2014 with Prashan Pieris winning the title. The tournament was not played during Covid pandemic but resumed in 2022. The winners in 2022 were Kaya Daluwatte in the girl’s division and Haroon Aslam in the boys.
Players will compete in four age categories comprising Gold Division (15-18 years), Silver (12-14 years), Bronze Division (10-11 Years) and Copper Division (9 years and under).
The overall winner of the championship will carry away the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy in the boys and girls categories.
The tournament format will be based on a qualifying stroke play round for each age category, with the best eight qualifying scores going on to play in the match play knock-out finals to determine the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Copper Division winners.
However, girls in the Gold and Silver Division and the boys in the Gold Categories will be eligible to vie for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy and the Title of Junior Boys Champion and Junior Girls Champion, respectively.