Mithun Perera takes route 66 to Delhi lead

AFP: Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera birdied four of his last five holes to lead the Panasonic Open India and raise hopes of his first Asian Tour win on Thursday.

Perera’s six-under-par 66 at Delhi Golf Club gave him a one-shot lead over India’s Chiragh Kumar and Sattaya Supupramai of Thailand.

Perera, who lost in a three-way play-off last year, had two opening birdies from close range and finished with more on 14, 15, 17 and 18 to seize the first round lead.

“It is nice to start with two gimmie birdies. That gave me a lot of confidence,” said Perera, according to the Asian Tour. “I kept the ball in play and that’s the key to a good score here.”

“I had a good round because my driver worked and I holed some good putts. I’ll try and keep to this rhythm in the next three rounds. I always have good confidence when I’m here because of my accuracy,” he added.