Sri Lanka’s young golf stars played out of their skins as Kaya Daluwatte and Reshan Algama delivered eye-catching performances at the 16th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, which concluded at the Laguna Golf Lang Co course in Vietnam.
In a field packed with Asia’s best junior golfers, Kaya was the pick of the bunch for Sri Lanka. The young star, often called the ‘pearl of Sri Lanka golf’, staged a remarkable comeback to finish as runners-up in the Girls’ Under-16 division.
Daluwatte, who had a tough opening round of 77, dug deep into her bag of tricks, bouncing back with a steady 70 on day two and then unleashing a superb two-under-par 69 on the final day. That heroic final round gave her a total of 216, placing her firmly on the podium and writing a proud new chapter in Sri Lanka’s golf history.
“I knew I had to fight tooth and nail to get back into the game,” said a beaming Kaya Daluwatte after her brilliant finish. “I kept my cool, played smart, and trusted my shots. This runner-up title is a big feather in my cap — and I’m so happy I could do this for my country.”
Meanwhile, in the Boys’ Under-16 division, Reshan made sure Sri Lanka stayed in the spotlight. He swung for the fences in the opening two rounds, carding 70 and 71, putting himself right in the mix.
A slight stumble with a final round 77 didn’t stop him from finishing in a solid fourth place with a total of 218.
“I gave it my best shot,” said Reshan Algama. “It was a big challenge but I kept my head in the game. I’ve learnt a lot and this will push me to go for gold next time.”
Niloo Jayathilake, Chairperson of Junior Golf Sri Lanka, was overjoyed by their efforts.
“This is a massive boost for our junior golf,” said Jayathilake. “Kaya’s brilliant runners-up finish and Reshan’s top-four placing show we’re not here to make up the numbers — we’re here to win. These two really stepped up to the plate when it mattered.”
