Kathmandu, January 12

A day after leading the Central Region to the team title victory, Tanka Bahadur Karki claimed the individual section gold medal of the NGA-NSC Open Golf Championship here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club today.

Karki played a round of two-over 70 to post the 54-hole total of three-over 207 for a five-shot victory over his national team member Sukra Bahadur Rai.

The Nirvana Country Club golfer Rai carded one-under 67 to finish second after young player from Central Region Subash Tamang faltered to nine-over 77. Despite the below par performance, Tamang claimed bronze medal with the total score of 18-over 222.

Karki, who had eight-shot advantage going into the third and final round, played two-over 36 on the front nine after he dropped shots on the fifth and ninth holes. On his way to carding an even-par 34 on the latter half, Karki suffered bogeys on the 13th and 16th against birdies on the 11th and 18th holes.

Rai shot even-par 34 on the front nine that included a birdie on the fourth and a bogey on the seventh. Rai carded birdies on the 11th and 17th holes before facing a bogey on the final hole to finish the back nine at one-under 33. Ghising shot five-over 39 on the front nine and played four-over 38 on the latter half.

On Thursday, the Central Region team of Karki, Ghising and Sandip Tamang had won the team event gold with the score of 282, while Sukra, Sundar Rai and Yubraj Bhujel of Nirvana Country Club finished second at 294. RNGC team of Binod Tamang, Bharat Bastakoti and Navaraj Chaulagain was third with the score of 304.

In all, 40 players from seven teams – Eastern Region, Western Region, Central Region, RNGC, Gokarna Golf Club, Nirvana Country

Club and Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club — took part in the tournament organised by Nepal Golf Association under the NSC Championships.

National Sports Council Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista, NGA President Tashi Ghale, Treasurer Kishan Agrawal and Kathmandu District Golf Association President Madan Rana among others handed over the prizes to the winners.