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OWGR: Part V of the Obscure golf nations’ top ranked golfer

By Mike Randleman

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - OCTOBER 23: Willy Pumarol of Dominican Republic tees off on the first hole during the first round of America's Golf Cup as part of PGA Latinoamerica tour at Olivos Golf Club on October 23, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Gabriel Rossi/LatinContent via Getty Images)
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - OCTOBER 23: Willy Pumarol of Dominican Republic tees off on the first hole during the first round of America's Golf Cup as part of PGA Latinoamerica tour at Olivos Golf Club on October 23, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Gabriel Rossi/LatinContent via Getty Images) /
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Sri Lankan golf player Mithun Perera plays a shot during the last day of the Panasonic Open India golf tournament on the Asian Tour at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi on December 4, 2016. / AFP / SAJJAD HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Sri Lankan golf player Mithun Perera plays a shot during the last day of the Panasonic Open India golf tournament on the Asian Tour at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi on December 4, 2016. / AFP / SAJJAD HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images) /

Sri Lanka

The way I see it is if you’re a golfer with a Wikipedia page, you’ve got to be doing something right.

That’s the case for K. Mithun Chamika Udayanga Perera, aka Mithun Perera.

He’s the owner of seven wins on the Professional Golf Tour of India and is tops among Sri Lankan golfers in the OWGR at No. 903.

Perera is the son of Nandasena Perera, a successful pro in Asia in his day whose career was trimmed short by arthritis.

Mithun Perera hails from the city of Boralla and picked up the game as a youngster. He won the Sri Lankan Amateur three times and competed in the Asian Games.

Perera turned pro in 2011 and made a pair of starts in OWGR-counting events that year on the Asian Tour. He stuck close to home in the years ahead and came close to a win in 2013 at the Zaykabar Myanmar Open where he finished in solo second.

Perera earned another runner up in 2014 and in 2015 finished T-3 at the Hero Indian Open, an Asian Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned event. This was all while dominating the Professional Golf Tour of India where he’s won seven times from 2011-2019. Unfortunately, the PGTI didn’t net OWGR points until 2019.

Perera, 33, may be past the point of reaching the European Tour as he’s now without Asian Tour status.

Nonetheless, he reached an apex of No. 370 in the world and did well for a golf nation without much professional history aside from his family.

There are currently five Sri Lankans in the OWGR and only Perera is in the top 1,000.

GOLF IN SRI LANKA

Nuwara Eliya Golf Links, Driving on the 7th Tee, Ceylon’, circa 1900. Nuwara Eliya, Central Province, Sri Lanka. The Nuwara Eliya golf course was constructed in 1889 by a Scottish soldier of the Gordon Highlanders for the British servicemen and officials who were posted at Nuwara Eliya. [Plate Ltd, Ceylon, circa 1900]. Artist: Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)
Nuwara Eliya Golf Links, Driving on the 7th Tee, Ceylon’, circa 1900. Nuwara Eliya, Central Province, Sri Lanka. The Nuwara Eliya golf course was constructed in 1889 by a Scottish soldier of the Gordon Highlanders for the British servicemen and officials who were posted at Nuwara Eliya. [Plate Ltd, Ceylon, circa 1900]. Artist: Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) /

Golf, along with most sports in this island nation of 21.7 million, dates back to the British Empire’s influence in the 1800s.

According to Tourism Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Golf Championship was established in 1891 and is the oldest national golf championship outside Britain. Royal Colombo Golf Club dates back to 1879 in the nation’s capital.

Sri Lanka’s climate is exotic, warm, and suitable for golf most of the year. The wet season from May to September can be an exception.

According to the Sri Lanka Golf Union, which was founded in 1946, there are six courses and 1,000 registered players.

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As far as I can tell, there have not been any big-time pro tournaments held in Sri Lanka. Instead, it’s more of a tourist destination for golf and is a short trip away if you’re vacationing in India.

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