The Burdett Trophy, the oldest and most prestigious inter-club golf competition in Sri Lanka, contested annually between the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC) and the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC), will tee off tomorrow in Nuwara Eliya.
Tee-off is at 7 a.m.
The trophy was inaugurated in 1902 when Sir Francis Burdett, Assistant Deputy Commissioner to the Governor of Ceylon, presented the challenge cup for annual competition between the two clubs. The first Burdett Trophy was played at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club on 26-27 December 1902, with NEGC emerging as the inaugural champions.
Played alternately at NEGC and RCGC each year, the tournament follows the traditional match-play format, featuring four foursomes’ matches in the morning and eight singles matches in the afternoon. With a history spanning more than a century, the Burdett Trophy is regarded as one of the world’s oldest inter-club golf competitions and predates the Ryder Cup by 25 years.
The Puffin Cup is the premier women’s inter-club golf championship between the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC) and the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC). Introduced in 1936, the trophy was donated by C. M. “Puffin” Lushington following the establishment of the ladies’ sections in both clubs. – (SJ)