PIN FERNANDO – SRI LANKA’S AMATEUR GOLFING TIGER

In March Eighteen Seventy Nine, on the lush now that we call Galle Face green,
The Colombo Golf Club under British rule, a few white men formed to be seen.
Sommervile, Fairlie and Aitken as they were known, some members of English name ,
To have later our first Ceylonese, great Beauchchamp and F. C. of De Saram fame.

Forty nine years since that first day, the Colombo Golf Club was again renamed,
To be conferred for the first time in its history, a name of Royal being proclaimed.
Many a golfing board event did start, inaugurating since nineteen hundred naught one,
With our own great golfing prodigy, Pin Fernando storming the game for all to stun.

Beginning in the year Nineteen Forty Seven, winning the Captains Cup three times
The prestigious Amateur Championship of Ceylon, ten times smoothly like these rhymes.
Beating the likes of Thornton, Carter and moss, Sethi and Choudhry to sob in their pastimes,
He conquered Srilanka’s golfing scene, a Pin Fernando era to be remembered for lifetimes.

His prowess with the club in hand was such, no one dared to cast any little doubt,
Whether his drive will scream down the fairway, or hit the rough with a fading clout.
His silky touch around the lush smooth greens, amazed the whites as it did the Asians,
Cos no matter what colour or name he played, never did he be fazed by any chieftains.

Seventeen times did he show his skill, in winning the Gold Medal since Nineteen Forty Nine,
To the dismay of some great golfers, as the De Sarams and Robins with Muller not feeling fine.
Twenty times the Aggregate Gold Medal did he win, beating greats as Solie since Nineteen Fifty ,
Six years on the trot twice did he do it, a great record in many minds that’s to date very sticky.

Nineteen Colombo Golf Club Championship did he win, since Nineteen Fifty beating his peers,
From Fifty Five to Sixty Six he has stamped, his record for twelve consecutive golfing years.
The greats as Carter, Thornton and Brown, perhaps not knowing at the time what to do,
Watched in awe as he conquered the course, not daring to say anything other than woo.

In Nineteen Eleven did dawn the Shakespear Shield, from Fifty Four for seven years to take home,
Twice with his talented loving son Priath, whose golfing talents were just about to be shown.
Arunachalam and Rosal Combining since Fifty Four, twice to win the McBrides Foursomes,
Four times the Presidents Cup to win since Fifty Seven, sending other golfers into some ashrams.

Known for his powers of great concentration, and to take every shot as first on the course,
He never even let his son win against him, at times to his beloved family’s utter remorse.
A golfer thus far the Royal Colombo Golf Club has never seen, is a true tragedy by itself,
As this scribe and many an aspiring golfer, would have yearned to watch and learn themselves.

The Clifford Cup being his least amount of wins, only once being won in Nineteen Seventy Two,
Ceylon Golf Unions Open Championship being had, twice since Nineteen Seventy Three.
Nineteen Seventy Eight was the year, Pin won the Squadron Cup for the first and last time,
Going on to win the Ceylon Golf Unions Seniors Cup, twice from Seventy Nine in his last prime.

Of the eighteen board events played in his prime, twelve has he won with a nice big smile,
A fete to this day perhaps that no member has achieved, but surely would want in their file,
Life Members and Maclachlan Cup, together with the Sir Ernest Fernando Trophy being some,
With the Calcutta Medal, Havelock and Centenary Trophy, the six where he has not been awesome.

Among many feathers that have donned Pin Fernando’s cap, two remain as very first’s time immortal,
The first Ceylonese Captain and President of the Club, will always be assigned to his everlasting portal.
A fitting tribute to this golfing prodigy, conferred by the good fine gentlemen of this Royal Golf club,
In Sixty Four and Sixty Eight did he this achieve, perhaps some others surely at the time to snub.

Another honour bestowed upon Pin, perhaps of being president in Nineteen Seventy Nine,
The Centenary Year of the Royal Colombo Golf Club, surely a prestige befitting and fine.
The last but not least achievement of great Pin, in the year Nineteen Hundred and Eighty,
To be made an Honorary Lifetime Member, a fitting tribute to this humble golfing mighty.

Pin Fernando the greatest amateur golfer thus far, I wish among many I was to watch there,
Not destined to have that divine blessing, I resolve in your name by prose to try and share.
May you rest at eternal peace always, swinging and putting in the land that we call heaven,
Hoping someday we will be able to meet, and together play a great game of golf amen!
 
- Affs  (01st October 2013)