Sri Lanka golf update as 2018 begins
R. A. Anura Rohana finished 3rd on the PGTI Order of Merit List 2017, after the year- end finale the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2017 in December last week. The Professional Golf Tour of India comprising 21 Golfing events ranging from IRs. 30 Lacks to IRs. One Crore four events and IRs. 1.5 Crore one event finale to close down the PGTI calendar year from January – December.
The PGTI since 2006 has grown in stature and has become the cradle to produce top Indian Golf professionals who have made a tremendous impact in the Asian Tour, European Tour, producing the youngest Indian Shubanka Sharma at 21 years to win an European Tour event as well. Anirbhan Lahiri topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2016 and qualified for the US Masters and continues his run on the USPGA Tour. The feature event in the PGTI Calendar is the Hero Indian Open with a prize purse of US$ 1,750,000.00, which is an European Tour Event and an Asian Tour Joint Sanctioned event. In addition the PGTI has two other Asian Tour Joint sanction Tournaments at USD 300,000.00 and USD 400,000.00, prize purse events which places the PGTI highly ranked in the Asian region.
A total of 128 players are listed in the PGTI calendar of 21 Tournaments and the five Sri Lankan Golfers participating in the Tour have performed incredibly well to make a mark on Indian soil and prove the Sri Lankan talent playing against tough odds. PGTI order of merit list 2017 after the final event Mcleod Russel PGTI tour championship 1. Shammim Khan 2. Udayan Mane 3. R.A. Anura Rohana (Sri Lanka) 4. Honey Baisoya 5. M. Dharma 6. Khalin H Joshi 7. Mukesh Kumar 8. Aman Raj 9. Viraj Madappa 10. Harendra Gupta 17. Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka) 23. N. Thangaraja (Sri Lanka) 54. K Prabagaran (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka Amateur Men and Ladies Golf team participate in 33rd Bangladesh Amat e u r G o l f Championship 2018, at the Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka
The Sri Lanka Men’s team comprising G P Sisira Kumara and Chalitha Pushpika together with the young Ladies Team of Taniya Minel Balasuriya and Kayla Perera, left for Bangladesh with the hopes and aspirations of annexing the Bangladesh Men’s and Ladies Amateur Golf Championships respectively. Sunil Jayakodi, a member of the national selectors, accompanied the team as Manager of the Team. The Bangladesh National Titles are the main target for the Sri Lanka Team with Sisira Kumara, Runner- up twice over in the Sri Lanka Amateur Championship expected to make amends whilst Taniya Minel Balasuriya fresh from success in the Indian Junior Championship could make a bold bid for the Ladies title.
The PFGP – Pin Fernando Grand Prix 2017, final event December edition will be played from the 8th -11th January 2018, at the RCGC and will bring the curtain down on the Sri Lanka Men’s Amateur Rankings for 2017. B A Sanjeewa the top Amateur Golfer through 2017, has an unassailable lead and will be the # 1 Ranked Sri Lankan Amateur. Sanjeewa will participate in the PGTI ‘ Q’ School Final stage, to be conducted in India from January 14th to Qualify for the PGTI 2018, after which he would turn Pro and play alongside Anura Rohana, Mithun, Thangaraja and Prabagaran. Vijitha Bandara too will have to qualify once again to secure the PGTI Tour Card for 2018.