By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Amateur Subash Tamang won the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Thursday.
Subash had a comfortable seven-stroke victory over pro Sukra Bahadur Rai and Bhuwan Nagarkoti to become the first amateur golfer to win three major titles. He had also won the Surya Nepal Challenge in 2019 and Surya Nepal Western Open in April.
Subash who was two strokes ahead of Bhuwan going into the final round, carded four-under 68 to post the tournament total of 19-under 269. Sukra, who was eight strokes behind Subash and six strokes behind Bhuwan carded five-under 67 to be tied with Bhuwan at 12-under 278. Bhuwan carded one-over 73 on the final day of the championship as both of them shared Rs 111,500 each while Subash was not eligible for cash prize.
Rabi Khadka carded even-par 72 to be third among pros and fourth overall at six-under 282, he collected cash prize of Rs 65,000. Niraj Tamang carded four-under 68 for a total score of four-under 284 and bagged cash prize worth Rs 53,500. Dhana Bahadur Thapa produced a card of three-under 69 for a total score of three-under 285 to earn Rs 45,000.
Subash never looked back after carding four-under 32 on the front nine, with the help of eagle on the third hole and birdies on seventh and ninth holes. On the back nine, he made birdies on 10th, 12th and 18th holes but also dropped shots on 14th, 15th and 16th holes.
Bhuwan made an error on the second hole and picked up stroke on the next hole but made bogey on the fourth hole. He again sank birdie on the fifth and seventh hole but dropped a shot on the ninth hole. On the back nine, he made birdies on 12th and 18th holes but a disastrous double-bogey on the 14th and bogey on the 15th hole took his score to one-over 37.
Sukra played one-under 35 on the front nine with a lone birdie on the third hole. On the back nine, he made eagle on 11th hole and birdies on 12th and 14th holes for four-under 32.
A total of 31 pros and 13 amateur golfers took part in the seventh event of Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22. The tournament carried a total cash prize of Rs 775,000. Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd’s Marketing Vice President Dipra Lahiri, President of Nepal Golf Association Tashi Ghale and Vice President Pavitra Kumar Karki handed over the prizes to the winners.
