Kaya finishes best in UAE

By Shamseer Jaleel 

Sri Lanka celebrated a landmark moment in junior golf this week as Kaya Daluwatte produced a masterful performance to win the Girls-21 and Division with remarkable authority at the Nick Faldo Junior European Golf Tournament which took place in UAE.

Representing the Royal Colombo Golf Club, Kaya delivered rounds of 68, 67 and 67 for a brilliant 202 total (–8), securing a historic victory against a strong international field. Lova Jansson of Sweden was second after been tied with Kaya on the first two days but lost out on the final day ending seven strokes behind.

Kaya’s consistency stood out from start to finish. She opened with a composed 68 and never looked back, firing matching 67s on days two and three. The poise she showed under pressure, especially in the final round, showed her reputation as Sri Lanka’s premier female amateur golfer. 

This triumph not only reaffirms her rising status in the region but also marks one of the most significant international wins by a Sri Lankan junior in recent years. 

In the Boys Under-21 Reshan Algama put together a commendable effort to finish T14 with rounds of 70, 68 and 77 totalling 215 (+5). After two disciplined rounds that kept him well inside the top 10, Reshan encountered difficulty on the final day. Despite the setback he finished tied 14th position.

Jevahn Sathasivam too started off well but with some tough rounds on day two and three made him to end in 22nd place delivering a steady performance throughout the tournament. He had a superb first round with a score of 71 but the day two score of 76 and final day’s 77 put him down in the final positions.