17-Year-Old Kaya Daluwatte Rising Among World’s Leading Young Golfers

At just 17, Sri Lankan golfer Kaya Daluwatte is steadily establishing herself among the world’s leading young golfers, with a journey built on patience, consistency and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Representing the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) and Sri Lanka, Daluwatte has climbed to a career-best World Amateur Golf Ranking of 335, placing her among the highly ranked young players in international amateur golf.

Her rise has been shaped by years of competing at both local and international level, with tournaments taking her to Scotland, the United States, Thailand, India, Japan, New Zealand, Bahrain and the UAE. Each competition has provided valuable experience as she continues to test herself against strong international fields.

In recent seasons, Daluwatte has successfully defended both the Sri Lanka Ladies Amateur Championship and the Sri Lanka Ladies Stroke Play Championship. She has also won the Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Championship and the Faldo Series Sri Lanka Qualifier.

Her international performances include appearances at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Championship, ANNIKA Invitational Asia and the All India Ladies Amateur Championship.

One of the biggest milestones of her young career came at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where Daluwatte produced rounds of 69, 64 and 69 to finish 14 under par and claim the bronze medal. The achievement made her the first Sri Lankan golfer to win a medal at the Asian Youth Games.

Daluwatte’s approach to golf has focused on learning from every round rather than relying on individual victories. Her philosophy is reflected in her belief that “it’s not over till the last putt falls.”

With international experience continuing to grow and her world ranking reaching new heights, Daluwatte is emerging as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising young golfers, carrying the country’s ambitions onto the international stage.