Kathmandu, October 8

The Ghana Shyam’s Professional Golden Jubilee Golf Championship is beginning here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club from Monday.

The tournament — the special-sanctioned event by the Nepal Professional Golfers Association — is the season opening event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2017-18. Founder President of Nepal PGA Ghana Shyam Thapa is the sponsor of the tournament to mark his golden jubilee as a professional golfer.

Thapa had turned pro in April, 1968 after he completed the six-month training at Delhi Golf Club. “I am organising this tournament to celebrate my 50 years in professional golf,” said Thapa, who had organised four editions of the Ghana Open from 2008 to mark his golden jubilee in golf. “The objective of organising this event is to share the knowledge of the sport to the coming generation and also set an example for others by promoting golf,” added Thapa, the first professional golfer of Nepal, who participated in two World Cups and also worked in India and Germany as a teaching pro.

A total of 39 golfers — 32 pros and seven amateurs — will take part in the 72-hole competition. Cut will be applied after the second round with 21 pros and six amateur golfers making it to the final two days. Out of the total cash purse of Rs 500,000 the top three pros will receive Rs 85,000, Rs 58,000 and Rs 45,000 respectively. Others in the top 21 will also get their share of cash prizes.

After the completion of the professional event, a separate club-level amateur tournament will be played under the event on October 13-14.