Kathmandu, April 18
National team golfer Sadbhav Acharya produced the best card of the day to earn a share of lead with pro Sanjay Lama after the second round of the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship here at the Gokarna Golf Club today.
The youngest winner of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour, 16-yearold Acharya carded six-under 66 for the 36-hole total of eight-under 136, while overnight leader Lama needed a birdie on the final hole to catch Acharya. Lama settled for two-under 70 despite carding four birdies and sinking two eagles.
Acharya carded seven-under 29 on the front nine with the help of birdies on the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth holes. After taking the turn, he settled for one-over 37.
Acharya carded a birdie on the 12th before facing bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes.
Overnight leader Lama carded one-under 35 on either half. He carded birdies on the second, fourth and fifth holes, while he faced bogeys on the third and seventh holes before taking the turn. Lama put him on a strong position to extend the lead with two straight eagles on the 11th and 12th holes, but he faced two double bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes. He finished the day with a birdie on the final hole.
Top amateur golfer, Subash Tamang was one shot behind the leaders at seven-under 137 after the 13th SA Games double gold medallist carded a bogey-free five-under 67. He took the turn at four-under 32 and carded one-under 35 on the back nine. He started the day with a birdie and sank an eagle on the third before adding the second birdie of the day on the fifth. On the back nine, Tamang carded a birdie on the 12th and saved pars on eight holes.
Pro Niraj Tamang was fourth at three-under 141 after he carded four-under 68, while former top pro Rabi Khadka (73) dropped down to fifth at 142.
Another former top pro Bhuvan Nagarkoti bounced back with a four-under 68 to move up to sixth with the total score of one-under 143. Kamal Tamang (71) moved up to seventh at even-par 144, while Bhu Bahadur Gurung faltered to threeover 75 to drop down to eighth at 145. Ramesh Adhikari (71) and Toran Bikram Shahi (75) were tied for ninth at two-over 146.
A total of 21 pros and eight amateurs made it to the final two rounds after the cut was applied at 14-over 158. Dinesh Prajapati, Rajendra Shrestha Pradhan, Shivaram Poudel, Surya Prasad Sharma, Jayram Shrestha, Ram Krishna Shrestha, Bal Bhadra Rai, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Pradeep Kumar Lama, Tanka Bahadur Karki, Rame Magar, Dhana Bahadur Thapa and Deepak Magar were among the pros who survived the cut.
In the amateur section, Vijay Shrestha Einhaus, Suresh Tamang, Wangchen Dhondup, Tashi Tsering, Yubraj Bhujel and Bharat Thapa Magar earned berths in the final two rounds.
The seventh tournament under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2022-23 carries a cash purse of Rs 800,000.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 19, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
