Jacob Norton wins Scanwell Junior Open Golf Championship
The Scanwell Junior Open Golf Championship 2023 got underway at the Royal Colombo Golf Course, sponsored by Scanwell Logistics for the ninth year. The concept of a Junior Open Golf Championship initiated by Andy Anderson, the Managing Director of Scanwell Logisitics, was played consecutively for seven years until the Covid19 and lockdown period interrupted the Junior Championship, revived in 2022 and continued in 2023.
The 2023 Scanwell Junior Open Golf Championship attracted 117 entries in four divisions and the feature was that the Anuradhapura Golf Academy, Victoria Golf Resort, Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and the new entrants to golf – Ananda College Golf Club participated in strength competing with the juniors from Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC).
Jacob Norton from RCGC grabbed the title of Scanwell Junior Open Golf Champion 2023 carding a brilliant 2 under par 69 in a very competitive Gold Division Under-19 age group category, the main event. Jacob was also the overall winner returning the best gross score for the day.
Jevahn Sathasivam’s even par round of 71 and Pranav Muralitharan’s one over 72 earned them the minor placings in the Gold Category.
The 14-year-old H.D. Adhithya Weerasinghe from Anuradhapura, a rising star, won the Silver Division in the Under-15 age group with a Gross 75 followed by Keshav Algama and T. Deshan on joint 77 gross.
The Bronze Division, Under-13 years, played over 14 holes Open for girls and boys, was won by
Shenal Nimshith, carding a 69 Gross comfortably ahead of Lavidu Premaratne (75) and Genuli Weerakoon (77), both from Anuradhapura, a very creditable performance having started golf with the SLG Junior Golf programme earlier this year.
In the Copper Division Under11 age group played over nine holes, Revaan Amarasinghe won with a very creditable Gross score of 37, just 2 over par, from Yuvan Rathis Kanth (39) and Jaeden Sathasivam (41).
Captain of the Royal Colombo Golf Club, Dr. Rohitha Silva was the chief guest at the prize giving ceremony, thanked Scanwell Logistics for the sponsorship of the Junior Open Championship, whilst expressing the desire of the RCGC to support junior golf as it holds the key to the future of golf in Sri Lanka. Captain of RCGC, Dr. Rohitha gave away the overall winner and the Scanwell Junior Open Champion Trophy to Jacob Norton, a rising star of the future.
The Executive Director of Scanwell Logistics, Priyan Seilman, addressing the gathering thanked the RCGC Junior Committee for the cooperation extended to conduct the Scanwell Junior Open and also thanked all the juniors from Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Victoria Golf Resort for participating in the Scanwell Junior Open.
As a gesture of promoting Regional Golf development, Seilman recognised the best regional players gifting golf bags to M.M. Thenuk Sathnidu (U-19), H. Janeedsh Weerasinghe (U-15), Udeera Bandara (U-13) and Abiman Abewardana (U-11) all from Anuradhapura Academy. He also gave away the trophies to the Silver Division winners.
Harry Joachim, the Vice President of Scanwell Logistics, gave the trophies to the winners in the Bronze Division – Under-13 age group category, whilst Champa Cumaranathunga, the Directress of Sports at LPF Academy gave the trophies to the Copper Division, Under-11 age category winners.
Also present at the event were Manager Administration and HR Scanwell Logistics, (Rtd.Lt. Cdr) Harsha Udawatte, RCGC Tournament Committee Director and RCGC Coach, Jehan de Saram, RCGC Junior Golf Coordinator Radha Sunderampillai, Shiran de Rahuman, Manager Marketing and Communication RCGC, Harry Joachim, the Vice President, Harsha Udawatte representing Scanwell Logistics, and Champa Cumaranathunga of LPF Academy.