N. Thangaraja demonstrated his class and experience with a convincing 10-shot victory at the inaugural E-Wis Championship 2026, giving the newly launched Professional Golf Tour Sri Lanka a strong opening champion at the Victoria Golf Resort in Digana. Thangaraja, one of Sri Lanka’s most respected professional golfers, finished the three-round event with a grand total [...]
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N. Thangaraja demonstrated his class and experience with a convincing 10-shot victory at the inaugural E-Wis Championship 2026, giving the newly launched Professional Golf Tour Sri Lanka a strong opening champion at the Victoria Golf Resort in Digana.
Thangaraja, one of Sri Lanka’s most respected professional golfers, finished the three-round event with a grand total of 209 after carding rounds of 65, 70 and 74. Playing on the par-73 course, he ended the championship 10-under-par, well ahead of Lalith Kumara, who finished second on 219.
Thangaraja said the victory was important because it came in the first tournament of the Professional Golf Tour Sri Lanka and gave local professionals a strong platform to compete at a higher level. He also said the opening round was the key to his win, as his brilliant 65 gave him early control of the tournament and allowed him to play with more confidence over the next two rounds. The Sri Lankan star made his biggest remark on the first day when he fired an eight-under-par 65. That round placed him far ahead of the field and gave him the perfect start. He followed it with a solid three-under-par 70 in the second round to move to 135, taking a massive lead into the final day.
Although he closed with a one-over-par 74, Thangaraja had already done enough damage in the first two rounds. He stayed calm, avoided major mistakes and protected his lead with great maturity. Thangaraja said staying patient on the final day was very important because the course demanded control, careful shot-making and good course management. He said he was happy to win by such a big margin, but added that the bigger achievement was seeing a proper professional tour taking shape in Sri Lanka.
Lalith Kumara produced a strong final round of 71 to finish runner-up. He had earlier returned two rounds of 74 and ended the tournament with a total of 219. Navy golfer Chalitha Pushpika finished third on 223 after rounds of 71, 76 and 76, while M.U. Chanaka Perera took fourth place with 224.
Mithun Perera, another experienced player, completed the top five with a total of 226 after rounds of 75, 75 and 76. Haroon Aslam and Vijitha Bandara shared sixth place on 229, while N. Amarapathma and R. Pathmanathan were tied on 230.
But the championship clearly belonged to Thangaraja. His strong start, steady second round and controlled finish showed why he remains a major force in Sri Lankan golf. The E-Wis Championship also marked a historic moment as Sri Lanka’s inaugural professional golf tournament under the PGTSL banner. For Thangaraja, it was another proud title. For Sri Lankan golf, it was the beginning of a new journey.
Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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