The Royal Colombo Golf Club Club Championship 2020 was held at RCGC on Sunday. Picture shows from (left to right) Ms. Kishani Vethavinayakam ( Lady Captain), Kayla Perera winner RCGC Ladies Club Championship 2020, Yannik Kumara Men’s RCGC Club Champion 2020 and the Captain RCGC Capt. Navin De Silva at the Awards Ceremony held at RCGC. (Picture by – Herbert Perera)
Yannik Kumara at 14 years and nine months became the second fourteen year old to annex the Royal Colombo Golf Club Championship after Amrith De Soysa did so in 2001 defeating the same opponent Rusi Captain ‘Fourteen Time Club Champion’ since 1992 who last won in 2018.
Yannik Kumara displayed maturity handling the pressure that comes with playing in a first final being 2 down after the 5th Hole and 2 down at the turn, the turning point of the Final happened when Rusi 4 putted on the 10th Hole to open the door for Yannik from which point Yannik Kumara never looked back. He reeled off winning Hole after Hole and was 4 Up after the Morning 18 Holes. In the second Round Yannik kept applying the pressure and after 26 Holes had a commanding 7 Up lead. After ‘lemons’ at the ‘9th Hut’ Yannil was on the green under 10 Feet from the Pin whilst Rusi was on the Green on the left a good 40 feet from the Pin which he holed-out and gave a glimmer of hope that he would stage a comeback!! Yannik missed the Birdie and the lead was now 6 Up to Yannik.
Yannik kept his cool and took the 10th and 11th in his stride to seal the 36 Hole Final 8 and 7, probably the biggest margin inflicted on Rusi Captain in his Nine losses in the Club Championship final as against the 14 wins as RCGC Club Champion.
In the RCGC Ladies Club Championship 17 year old Kayla Perera beat Anouk Chitty 2 &1 in the Final, winning the Ladies RCGC Club Championship for the second time. Kayla Perera is a Junior Champion and along with Yannik Kumara are the future hopes for Sri Lanka Golf having being nurtured by the Junior Golf development programme under the close guidance of Jehan De Saram the RCGC Club Professional & Coach.
