After a competitive two-day tournament at the OUA golf championships, McMaster's Kavith Ranchagoda wins silver with an impressive individual score
The OUA men's golf tournament began on Oct. 5 and the Marauders men’s team finished fifth place. Kavith Ranchagoda, however, stood out with an exceptional scores of -2 on day one and +3 on day two and tied for second place overall.
“I just wanted to go out there and prove to myself that I could still compete at a really high level. I haven’t been competing much in the past two years, so it was great to get that competitive bug out of me” said Ranchagoda.
Ranchagoda, a fourth-year software engineering student, won the OUA championship with the Marauders in 2022. Although he did not compete in 2023, he felt confident going into this year.
“Right before the tournament, I knew where my game was at - it was at a really solid spot in my mind,” said Ranchagoda.
Despite the Marauder men’s team not finishing in the top three, he was glad he could share the green with a familiar face from a previous season, Nicholas Dessureault.
“Coming into this season, we had one member of the old championship team left, Nicolas Dessureault. My first thought was "I’d love to get one last ride with him and get our team in a good spot,"" said Ranchagoda.
“Coming into this season, we had one member of the old championship team left, Nicolas Dessureault. My first thought was "I’d love to get one last ride with him and get our team in a good spot.""
Kavith Ranchagoda, fourth-year software engineering student Marauder's men's golf team
Ranchagoda said it was his father who introduced the sport to him. Even at a young age, he was often at the driving range. “We didn’t really have babysitting, so bringing me to the course was my babysitting,” said Ranchagoda.
He still remembers his first tournament, in which he competed at six years old. “I still remember finishing dead last and seeing the young kids laughing at my score. As a young kid seeing that, it added fuel to the fire,” said Ranchagoda.
Ranchagoda noted that while his first few years of competition were rough, he stayed confident and persistent and the results paid off. He won his first medal at eight years old and he’s been on a roll since then.
Looking for inspiration, Ranchagoda often reflects on golfers like Rory McIlroy. Mcllroy, who isn’t the tallest guy on the green, makes up for his size by being one of the longest hitters in the game. “I’m not a tall guy myself, but to see a guy who isn't the tallest but still can whack it a mile is pretty cool,” said Ranchagoda.
Once he graduates, Ranchagoda has his sights set on coaching golf, having already done so since the pandemic. But more than anything, Ranchagoda will always be a competitor at heart. “I love winning not as much as I hate losing … that’s that competitive bug in me ... I’m always going to continue competing throughout my career,” said Ranchagoda
