Kathmandu, April 19

Top amateur Subash Tamang carded three-under 69 and opened up two stroke lead over pro Sanjay Lama after the third round of the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship here at the Gokarna Golf Club.

Defending champion Tamang, who was one stroke behind fellow national team member Sadbhav Acharya and pro Lama after the second round, moved to the top with the 54- hole total of 10-under 206.

Lama carded even-par 72 to slip to second at 208, while Acharya faltered the four-over 76 and fell four places down to fifth at four-under 212.

The 13th South Asian Games double gold medal winner, Tamang carded one-under 35 on the front nine. He made a bright start with a birdie but dropped shots on the second and fourth. Tamang came back strongly with back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes before taking the turn. He then faced a bogey on the 16th against three birdies on the 10th, 12th and 18th on his way to carding two-under 34 on the latter half.

Lama bounced back in the back nine carding three-under 33 after he faltered to threeover 39 on the first half. He dropped shots on the second, fourth and sixth holes before taking the turn. He shot two straight birdies on the 11th and 12th holes - where he had sank eagles in the second round - added two more on the 15th and 17th before facing a bogey on the final hole.

Former top pro Rabi Khadka aced the par-3 eighth hole on his way to carding four-under 68 and he moved up to third at six-under 210, while Bhuvan Nagarkoti carded second straight 68 to climb up to fourth at 211. Acharya, who produced the best card of six-under 66 to earn a share of lead on the second day, played one-over 37 on the front nine and shot a three-over 39 on the latter half. He carded a total of four birdies but just could not control the bogeys and a double bogey.

Niraj Tamang fell to sixth at two-under 214 after he played one-over 73, while Kamal Tamang (73) was seventh at one-over 217.

Jayram Shrestha carded three-under 69 to earn a share of eighth position with Ramesh Adhikari (72) at two over 218, while Tashi Tsering produced the best card among the amateurs carding a four-under 68 to move 11b places up to tied 10 with pro Bhu Bahadur Gurung (74).

Toran Bikram Shahi was further one shot behind at 12th position after he played twoover 74.

A total of 40 golfers - 31 pros and nine amateurs - took part in the seventh event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2022-23. After the second round, 21 pros and eight amateurs survived the cut in the tournament organised by PGA Nepal under the sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd.

Out of the total cash purse of Rs 800,000, top three pros after 72 holes will receive Rs 140,000, Rs 90,000 and Rs 67,000 respectively.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 20, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.