Sri Lankan pro Mithun Perera lifted the spirits in the Navratna Ahmedabad camp with a solid, improved display to finish with a score of 8-under 62 in round two, which helped his team advance to the semi-finals of the Louis Philippe Cup at par-70 BPGC in Chembur today.
The 27-year-old golfer's blistering performance equalled the course record set by Rahil Gangjee of AVT Kolkata on the opening day of the event yesterday.
Perera's splendid display boosted Ahmedabad, who were placed fifth after the first round, to the top of the leader board with a two-round nett score of 15-under 265 (133, 132).
The other two members of the team, Vikrant Chopra (72, 70) and Vinod Kumar (65, 70) both had par rounds.
Overnight leaders AVT Kolkata, represented by Gangjee, Shankar Das and Chiragh Kumar, finished with an identical total of 15-under 265 (129, 136), but were placed second on a count back.
Gangjee, who had scorched the course with a 62 could only manage a par score of 70, today while Chiragh and Das, both finished with identical scores of 68 each.
Puravankara Bangalore, composed of Anirban Lahiri (65-67), M Dharma (66-70) and S Chikkarangappa (66-68), were third with a combined score of 14-under 266 (131-135), while in fourth position was Krrish Colombo who had a nett score of 11-under 269 (131-138).
In the semi-finals tomorrow Ahmedabad would take on Colombo, while Bangalore would clash with Kolkata.
"I enjoyed a good round which included a couple of good putts. I played decent golf, but I think I could have done better," said Perera, who was a member of the 2012 winning team.
Perera, who had a score of 68 in the opening round, played with a higher level of consistency and made a total of nine birdies, six on the front nine and three on the back.
He started with a flourish making a birdie on the first hole and, after a par score on the second hole, he fired successive birdies on the next three holes.
