The national team golfers stay three strokes ahead of pros Rai and Tamang
KATHMANDU, JUNE 7
Young amateur golfer Sadbhav Acharya carded an impressive seven-under 65 to earn a share of lead with top amateur Subash Tamang after the second round of the Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship here at the Gokarna Golf Club today.
Acharya and Tamang, who played even-par 72, posted the 36-hole total of nine-under 135 and they are three strokes ahead of Dharan duo Neeraj Tamang and Nepal No 1 Sukra Bahadur Rai. While Tamang carded eight-under 64 for the best card of the round, while defending champion Rai carded five-under 65 for the total score of six-under 138.
Acharya, who was seven strokes behind overnight leader and his national team mate Tamang after the first round, carded a total of eight birdies on his way to moving to the top of the leaderboard. He made a flying start with a birdie before firing four straight from the third hole. He dropped a shot on the eighth before carding another birdie on the ninth to take the turn at five-under 31. The 16-year-old golfer then carded birdies on the 13th and 15th holes for a bogey-free back nine.
Nepal No 1 amateur Tamang was not up to the mark in the second round as he faced four each birdies and bogeys.
He took the turn at one-under 35 before settling for a oneover 37 on the latter half.
Tamang carded birdies on the first, third and seventh and he faced bogeys on the sixth and eighth. On the back nine, Tamang dropped shots on the 14th and 18th against a lone birdie on the 12th hole.
Dharan pro Tamang carded a total of 10 birdies on his way to producing the best card of the round. He carded seven consecutive birdies from the third hole on the bogey-free front nine of seven-under 29.
He then carded one-under 35 on the back nine. Tamang suffered two bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes against three birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th holes.
Defending champion Rai took the turn at four-under 32 before adding one-under 35 on the latter half. He made a flying start with four consecutive birdies and added another on the seventh. But he faced a bogey on the eighth. He failed to keep the momentum going and dropped shots on the 11th and 13th against birdies on the 12th, 15th and 18th holes.
Former No 1 Bhuvan Nagarkoti and Toran Bikram Shahi were tied for fifth at four-under 140. Nagarkoti carded four-under 68, while Shahi played even-par 72. Two other pros, Jayram Shrestha and Shivaram Poudel carded evenpar 72 each and shared the seventh position at three-under 141. Surya Prassad Sharma carded two-under 70 for the ninth position at two-under 142, while Dinesh Prajapati (72) was 10th at one-under 143. Amateur Tashi Tsering and former top pro Rabi Khadka shared the 11th position at even-par 144. Tsering carded two-under 70, while Khadka played second straight 72. Cut was applied at seven-over 151 with 23 pros and six amateurs making it to the final two rounds.
Rajendra Thapa Magar, Ram Krishna Shrestha, Kamal Tamang, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Dhana Bahadur Thapa, Dal Bahadur Lama, Rame Magar, Purna Prasad Sharma, Bhu Bahadur Gurung, Tashi Ghale, Deepak Magar, Tanka Bahadur Karki, Deepak Neupane and Bal Bhadra Rai survived the cut. Wangchen Dhondup and Bharat Thapa Magar survived the pro cut, while Prajwal Gurung made it to the final two rounds as the sixth amateur golfer.
A total of 50 golfers – 41 pros and nine amateurs – are taking part in the flagship event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour which carries a purse of Rs 1.52 million. Top three pros will receive Rs 270,000, Rs 170,000 and Rs 120,000 respectively.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 8, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
