Kathmandu, March 30:

Deepak Thapa Magar carded a four under 68 to extend his lead to nine strokes on Thursday after the completion of third round while another local golfer Mani Rai scored the day’s best card of five-under 67 during the Surya

Nepal Masters here at the Le Meridien Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa today.

Magar, who began the day with four-shot lead, finished with overall nine-under 207.

Nepal’s Deepak Acharya and India’s Feroz Ali shared the second spot at even-par 216. Sabin Sapkota one shot behind at 217 while Parnita Garewal, the only lady in the tournament was 56th with a card of 258.

On a course where most golfers struggled to break par, Thapa Magar led from the front, shooting rounds of 70, 69 and 68 in consecutive three rounds. A first tee starter, he began with a birdie, then caught fire with birdies on the third, fifth, where he drained a 12 feet putt, sixth and seventh.

A double bogey on the eighth put a momentary brake on Magar’s progress. Birdies on the 12th and 13th had ensured him of safely finishing the day way ahead of the others. The RNGC pro dropped his only shot once when he had a bogey on the 15th.

“I am happy with the way I played today. I wish I could have equaled or even bettered my career best round of five-under,” jubiliant Thapa Magar aded.

Feroz Ali played to two-under 70. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club pro missed as many as four putts under four feet in length. Feroz’s front-nine featured birdies on the third and fifth and a bogey on the fourth. Making the turn at one-under, the 1998 Indian Open champion went on to birdie the 12th, 16 th and 18th while he had bogeys on the 10th and 13th on his way back.

Deepak Acharya trudged to his third straight card of even-par. Acharya’s round featured birdies on the fifth, sixth, 14th and 15th. He had bogeys on the tenth, 12th, 13th and 17th, an eagle on the third and a double bogey on the 11th.

Mani Rai had four birdies on his front-nine — third, fourth, seventh and ninth. Bogeys on the fifth and eighth took the 34 year old at two-under at the end of front nine. Thereon, Rai erred only once with a bogey on the 16th while having birdies on Hole No 12, 13 and 18.

Ravi Khadka, meanwhile, fired a two-under 70 to clinch the amateur lead at a tournament tally of three-over 219. Tashi Ghale was second at 227.