Reshan Algama with his awards 

By Shamseer Jaleel

The third and the final day of the Prima Sunrise Bread Junior Regional Golf Tournament, held at the Shangri-La in Hambantota, saw a thrilling and dramatic conclusion as left-handed golfer Reshan Algama staged an extraordinary comeback to defend his championship title. 

In the Girls segment it was a one-horse race as Kaya Daluwatte won convincingly.

Having trailed by five shots after the first round, Reshan showed remarkable determination and skill and finished with a lead, claiming victory for the second consecutive time following his earlier win at the Kandy Regional.

Reshan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular with his iron play - a remarkable pleasure to watch. 

After a difficult first day, when he posted a score of 80, he bounced back on the second day with a superb 67, leaving him five shots clear of his competitors. 

On the final day, he maintained his composure, playing smart and strategic golf to shoot a round of 74, ultimately securing a well-deserved win with a total of 221. 

His victory was by a margin of four shots over Yannik Kumara, who finished second with a total of 225 and with Adhitya Weerasinghe from Anuradhapura in third place on count-back leading over Jevahn Sathasivam. 

Jevahn led day one in the tournament. The notable performance came from Aditya, who beat the seasoned Gold Division players like Jacob Norton, Kian Niyarepola and Pranav Muralidaran. 

In the Girls’ Gold Division, Kaya set a new standard for Sri Lankan junior golf with a stunning performance across all three days. 

Kaya, who has been gaining experience through international competitions, demonstrated her superiority by finishing with an incredible 70-stroke lead over her nearest competitor. 
Her rounds of 69, 69 and 73 culminated in a total score of 211, far ahead of second-place finisher Sithara Lorance (281) and third-place Kaitlyn Norton (282).

In the Silver Division (Boys’ 13-14), Kaveesha Sadaruwan claimed the top spot with a total score of 290 followed by Lithum Silva (317) and Aditha Mithsara (377). 

In the Bronze Division (Boys’ 11-12) Lavidu Premarathna came on top with a total of 172, edging out Revaan Amarasinghe (175), who ended on second position. 

Meanwhile, in the Copper Division (Boys’ 9 and Under) Abiman Abeywardhana took first place with a score of 114 closely followed by Jaeden Sathasivam and Yuvan Rathis Kanth.