Kathmandu, December 13

Sukra Bahadur Rai, Pratima Sherpa and Subash Ghising earned berths in next year’s Faldo Series Asia Grand Final to be held in Vietnam.

Defending champion Rai won the overall title of the CMS sixth Faldo Series Nepal Championship and also claimed the boys’ U-21 trophy, while Sherpa defended the girls’ section title. Likewise, Ghising bagged the boys’ U-16 section trophy. The trio will take part in the event to be hosted by Nick Faldo at the Laguna Lang Co in Danang in March Next year.

Rai, the national team member, carded four-over 76 in the final round to post the 54-hole total of 11-over 227 and registered a 10-shot victory over Bipin Tamang, who shot third straight seven-over 79. Suresh Tamang (81) was third at 249.

Rai carded two-over 38 on either half. He made a bright start with a birdie but dropped a shot on the second hole. Rai then carded his second birdie on the fourth before facing a triple bogey on the eighth. After taking the turn, Rai saved pars on seven holes and faced bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes.

Sherpa registered a huge 37-stroke victory over Kashmira Shah in the girls’ section. The No 1 woman golfer of the country, Sherpa posted a total score of 14-over 230 after she shot a 76 in the final round. Shah faltered to a 91 to finish second at 267, while Prativa Rai was third at 292.

Sherpa, who fired a nine-over 81 in the first round before bouncing back with one-over 76 on the second day, took the turn at one-over 37 and played three-over 39 on the latter half. She faced bogeys on the second, eighth and ninth against birdies on the fourth and seventh holes. On the back nine, Sherpa dropped shots on 10th, 12th, 14th and 17th holes against a lone birdie on the final hole.

Ghising registered one-stroke victory over Indian golfer Mohnish Y Shah in the boys’ U-16 category. Ghising carded four-over 76 for 16-over 232 total, while first-round leader Shah shot one-over 73 in the final round.

Ghising faced a bogey on the second hole and carded a birdie on the fourth to take the turn at even-par 36. He made a promising start on the back nine carding a birdie on the par-3 hole but went on to drop shots on the 14th and 17th apart from a triple bogey on the 15th hole.

In all, 23 players participated in the tournament jointly organised by Nepal Golf Association and Gokarna Forest Resort under the sponsorship of ISME Pvt Ltd. Newly-elected Member of Parliament and President of Nepal Olympic Committee Jeevan Ram Shrestha, NGA President Tashi Ghale, Vice-President Pavitra Karki, former president Madhukar Yakthumba, coach Kim Baldwin, President of Kathmandu District Golf Association Madan Rana and RNGC Captain NK Rai gave away prizes to the winners.

Meanwhile, the NGA selected players for a training camp to be conducted by Baldwin from Thursday. The day’s winners Sherpa and Ghising made the cut along with Binod Tamang, Rahul BK, Ritesh Tamang, Bisesh Rai, Prince Bhandari, Rohit Lama, Sujan Sunar, Sanjay Pariyar, Samir BK, Kashmira Shah, Prativa Rai and Juny Gurung.