Haroon takes early lead at National Ranking Tourney

By Shamseer Jaleel   

The prestigious National Ranking Tournament teed off yesterday at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC) amidst great anticipation.   

The opening round did not disappoint, serving up drama and standout performances from the former Trinity College golfer now in the USA, Haroon Aslam. He had a great start for the initial day with a score of 69. He was 2 under par.   

Haroon was in great form, showing his talent and experience to separate himself from a world-class field. Despite currently playing his trade in the USA, Aslam looked right at home, navigating the challenging Nuwara Eliya layout.   

Giving chase behind Aslam’s blazing start is Chalitha Pushpika, who opened with a one over-par 72 to claim the second spot. Uchitha Ranasinghe is a further four shots back after signing for a five-over 76 on day one.   

P D S U Kumara (77) and Yannik Kumara (77) remain within striking distance heading into the second round.   

In a tightly bunched leaderboard, Reshan Algama is tied for seventh place after shooting a seven-over 78 while Jevahn Sathasivam had to settle for a 10-over 81 in his opening effort, rounding out the top nine scores of the day.