KATHMANDU, APRIL 18

The Surya Nepal Challenge, sixth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22, is teeing off here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club on Tuesday.

A total of 60 golfers - 38 pros and 22 amateurs - will take part in the tournament which will be played over 72 holes, informed the organisers at a press meet today.

Top 21 pros and at least six amateurs will make it to the final two rounds after the second day. Out of the total cash purse of Rs 545,000, top three pros will receive Rs 100,000, Rs 65,000 and Rs 46,000, while others in top 21 will also earn their share of cash prizes, said Professional Golfers Association Nepal General Secretary Deepak Acharya.

'The condition of the course has been tweaked up for the tournament and most of the participants played a practice round to acclimatise with the conditions,' he added.

Sukra Bahadur Rai, who has bagged two titles in the season, will not take part in the event as he is playing in the Professional Golf Tour of India. Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti and Jayaram Shrestha along with amateur Subash Tamang are the three other winners in the current season.

Nagarkoti, Shrestha and Tamang are expected to get a tough challenge from the likes of Sanjay Lama, Rabi Khadka and Ram Thapa.

PGA Nepal and RNGC President Rabindra Man Shrestha hoped a tough fight over the next four days. 'I am confident that the scoring from both professionals and amateurs are going to be low in the tournament,' he said in a release.

Shrestha also thanked the Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd for supporting golf. 'We are grateful to our sponsors for their continuous support towards the development of the game.'

A version of this article appears in the print on April 19, 2022, of The Himalayan Times