Vijitha Bandara secures title in the Central Hills

By Shamseer Jaleel

The National Ranking Golf Tournament concluded in fine fashion at the Victoria Golf Resort in Rajawella, with Vijitha Bandara emerging as the overall champion after four intense rounds of golf. Bandara’s consistency across all days, with scores of 71, 77, 74, and 72, gave him a winning total of 294, two strokes ahead of the nearest rival.
Young Kaya Daluwatte continued her strong form this season, finishing runner-up on 296. Her rounds of 75, 75, 74, and 72 reflected remarkable steadiness under pressure, especially on the challenging closing day where she matched Bandara’s 72. She was the only girl in the tournament. Kaya, with the current world ranking of 524, will improve after her masterclass effort among the Boys.

In third place was the seasoned campaigner Chanaka Perera, who carded rounds of 73, 74, 78, and 75 for a total of 300, six strokes behind the leader. Despite a tough third round, his experience kept him among the top performers.

Reshan Algama and Kumar Danushan shared fourth place on 301, both displaying moments of brilliance during the week. Algama’s third-round 72 was among the best of the tournament, while Dhanushan remained consistent throughout.

More than 40 golfers teed off in the 4-day event, which saw the top 15 amateurs featuring in the last two days.
The Junior National Ranking Tournament held at Victoria Golf Resort, Rajawella, saw a fine display of young golfing talent over two days of competition. In the boys’ category, Udeera Bandara produced consistent rounds of 86 and 82 for a total of 168 to secure the top spot, displaying remarkable accuracy and composure on the challenging layout. Meanwhile, Sithara Lowrance won the girls’ segment with a total score of 189.