Vijitha Bandara leads as Sri Lanka win team championship

Sri Lanka’s Number one amateur golfer Vijitha Bandara

New Delhi, February 27, 2013: Sri Lanka’s Number one amateur Vijitha Bandara lived up to his country’s expectations as he shot two-under 70 to take the lead on day two of Gannon Dunkerley 8th NCR Cup. Bandara’s two days total of 144 and his colleague Sisira Kumara’s 154 also got them the team championship trophy after fighting hard on the tricky greens and fairways of the Par-72 Delhi Golf Club.

India’s Hemendra Chaudhary who was 13th yesterday, jumped to the second place after carding one-over for the total of 148. Amit Kumar and Nepal’s Dinesh Prajapati who shared the lead with Imamul Haque yesterday, again matched the scores as both of them came back with a four-over 148 and finished 3rd and 4th respectively.

After impressing the packed clubhouse on day one, Imamul Haque shot a disappointed 10-over 82 for the total of 154 to slip to 18th position.

24-year-old Bandara said, “I hit 15 greens in regulation and did not take out the driver even once which happened first time in my life. Though, I hit two bogeys throughout the round, I am happy that I am taking atleast one trophy back home. I am quite confident of taking the individual title in next two days and show it to the defending champion Thangarja back in my country.”

In the Team Championship played concurrently, Sri Lanka was the winner with the team total of 298 while The Rovers became runner-up with the score of 301. Third spot was taken by Oil India at 301. Germans Christof Korth and Klaus Michael Borbe who got selected through a note on facebook in their country to play in the NCR Cup, were unable to impress their sponsor Oliver Duenkel as they finished at the bottom of the team championship leader board at 999.  

Top 46 players will be vying for the title over the next two days as the cut was applied at 17-over.