KATHMANDU, MAY 26
Sukra Bahadur Rai claimed the Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship title to finish at the top of the Order of Merit here at the Gokarna Golf Club today.
The Dharan-based pro carded three-under 69 for the 72-hole total of 19-under 269 to register a sixstroke victory over Niraj Tamang, who played twoover 74 posting 13-under 275. Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti finished third at 12-under 276 after carding a 70.
Rai won third tournament of the season to take career major tally to seven titles and he also became the new Nepal No 1 pro after topping the Order of Merit with total earning of Rs 663,500 from five out of eight tournaments. Rai - who missed three events after he earned Indian Tour full cards and played six events in India - won the Surya Nepal Eastern Open at his backyard and Surya Nepal Central Open at Gokarna.
Rai, who turned pro after helping national team win gold medal in the 13th South Asian Games on home soil in December 2019, said finishing at the top of the Order of Merit was a proud moment for him.
"It's been a fairytale journey for me. I started playing professional tour after winning gold medal for the country. I did well in the first season as a pro, winning three titles. I qualified for the PGTI this year and also became No 1 pro in the home tour," said Rai. "I cannot express the happiness in words. I am over the moon at the moment. But there is a long way to go in professional golf. The Nepal Golf Association has managed a three-month training in India from mid-June.
I hope to excel in the Indian Tour after the training and I have a dream of playing in the Asian Tour one day,"
Rai said he needed a permanent sponsor in his bid to fare well in the Indian Tour. "I took part in six tournaments with help from my seniors and well wishers.
But that's not going to work forever. I need a sponsor so that I can play without any hesitation. Hopefully I will get one before going to India next time when the tour resumes in August-September," he added.
Rai and Nagarkoti shared the top position among pros in the Surya Nepal Tour Championship, which was won by amateur Subash Tamang. Nagarkoti bagged two titles - Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play and Surya Nepal Challenge and slipped to second in Order of Merit with total earning of Rs 580,500.
Jayaram Shrestha, who won the season-opening Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, finished third in Order of Merit with Rs 475,500.
Shrestha finished disappointing 15th among pros on Thursday after he shot four-over 76 for the total score of five-over 293. Niraj Tamang rose to fourth place after he claimed runner-up finish earning Rs 155,000 for the total earning of Rs 430,166, whereas former top pro Rabi Khadka came fifth with Rs 379,000. Khadka earned Rs 83,500 after he shared the fifth place with Bhuwan Kumar Rokka.
A total of eight tournaments were played in the season with total cash purse of Rs 5.91 million. While three pros shared six titles, top amateur golfer Subash Tamang won two - Surya Nepal Western Open and Surya Nepal Tour Championship.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 27, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
