KATHMANDU, JUNE 5

The Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship, the flagship event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2022-23, is beginning here at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Tuesday.

A total of 50 golfers - 41 pros and nine amateurs - are taking part in the eighth and final event of the Tour organised by Professional Golfers Association Nepal under the sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, informed the organisers at a press meet today.

After 36 holes, top 21 pros will make it to the money-making final two rounds, where they will be joined by at least six amateurs. The biggest event of the season, in terms of participation and prize money, carries a purse of Rs 1.52 million.

Top three pros will receive Rs 270,000, Rs 170,000 and Rs 120,000 respectively. Others in top 21 will get their share of cash prizes.

'As this is the flagship event of the season and is the biggest one in terms of cash purse, our members working abroad have also registered their names for the tournament,' said PGA Nepal General Secretary Deepak Acharya. 'We are hoping for a fierce competition over the next four days,' he added.

Nepal No 1 pro Sukra Bahadur Rai will be under pressure to retain the top pro's status as he is behind Bhuvan Nagarkoti in the Order of Merit. Nagarkoti, who has not claimed the trophy since winning season-opener Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, is at the top with Rs 513,500, while Rai - who has bagged three titles out of five events he played - is behind by Rs 19,500. Rai opted out of two events to play in the Professional Golf Tour of India and he is currently at the 51st position in PGTI Order of Merit with total prize money of INR 362,604.

Sanjay Lama is third in the list with Rs 352,500, while Dinesh Prajapati (Rs 306,500) and Jayaram Shrestha (Rs 294,750) are in top five. The top pros are expected to face stern challenge from the national team members Subash Tamang and Sadbhav Acharya - who have claimed one each title in the Tour. Apart from Tamang and Acharya, other amateurs who will be in fray included Tashi Tshiring and Wangchen Dhondup.

PGA Nepal President Rabindra Man Shrestha thanked the sponsors, Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd for the continued support to the sport. 'We started the Tour despite adverse situation and we are coming to the end of the season,' said Shrestha. 'I believe the standard of the players has gone up in recent days and we are hoping for an exciting game of golf in the final event of the season,' he added. The Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship will end with Pro-Am event on June 10. A total of 125 golfers - 25 pros and 100 amateurs - will take part in the tournament which provides the corporate golfers with an opportunity to rub shoulders with top players of the country.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.