India.Open

Mithun Perera is confident he can challenge for honours at next weekā€™s US$300,000 Panasonic Open India at the Delhi Golf Club, a course which suits his sharp-shooting game.

The young Sri Lankan is dreaming of a maiden Asian Tour title despite a season of struggles so far where he currently ranks 73rd on the Order of Merit.

ā€œDelhi Golf Club is one of my favourite courses on the Asian Tour. Iā€™m going to try to do well there. I have good memories and itā€™s one of the courses where I have done well in the past,ā€ said the 27-year-old, who finished 28th on the Order of Merit last season.

ā€œItā€™s one of the courses which suits my game. At the Delhi course, I believe I have a chance to win. Earlier this year, I was in the lead at the SAIL-SBI Open at the halfway stage but got unlucky because of the rain. I have played good golf there and my goal is to do well at the Panasonic Open India,ā€ he added.

Perera will join a strong line-up at the Panasonic Open India from November 6 to 9, which includes title holder Wade Ormsby of Australia, 2002 Asian Tour number one Jyoti Randhawa of India, Singaporeā€™s Lam Chih Bing and Thai rising star Jazz Janewattananond.Ā 

With the top-60 players keeping their Asian Tour cards, Perera knows he has much to play for at the Panasonic Open India before the 2014 season concludes.

ā€œIā€™m outside the top-60 and I hope to get my ranking up. I feel I can still do something as overall, my game is good. Iā€™ll be looking for some top-fives (in the remaining events) and maybe even secure a win,ā€ smiled Perera.

ā€œI believe in myself. I donā€™t have any doubts at all. Iā€™m trying to do a lot of things and I have the belief. When I donā€™t have doubts, I can hit good shots. When I have doubts, Iā€™ll miss shots. Thatā€™s what Iā€™ve been learning this season,ā€ he explained.

Perera is racing against time to turn the corner after missing several cuts this season, which he believes is a steeped learning curve in his second full season on the regionā€™s premier Tour.

ā€œI missed all the co-sanctioned events cut by one shots which was disappointing. A bit unlucky here and there and I guess itā€™s part of the game.

ā€œI learned a lot from those events and I hope to use the experiences well in the near future. Just one good week and I will keep my card on the Asian Tour,ā€ he said.

The 2014 Panasonic Open India, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGTI, is staged in its fourth straight year. Past winners include Indiaā€™s Anirban Lahiri and Digvijay Singh.

 

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