KATHMANDU: Ramesh Nagarkoti carded two-over 69 to win the Surya Nepal NPGA President’s Cup golf tournament here today.

Nagarkoti, who shared the lead with CB Bhandari after the second round, registered a six-stroke victory over Rajan Thapa to win the fifth title of his career with a total of four-over 205. Rajan shot six-over 73 for a total of 211, while Bhandari and Rabi Khadka finished joint third at 213. Bhandari had a disastrous round of 10-over 77, while Khadka shot five-over 72. Nagarkoti had last won the Carlsberg Open at the RNGC in 2003 and 2004. Since turning pro in 1995, he has also won the Surya Nepal Western Open in 1999 and 2002.

Of the total cash prize of Rs 200,000, Nagarkoti received Rs 44,000 while Rajan pocketed Rs 29,000. Bhandari and Khadka bagged Rs 18,500 each. Deepak Neupane finished fifth with a total of 217 and received Rs 12,500. Krishna Man Rajbahak and Deepak Thapa Magar finished joint sixth at 219 to take home Rs 10,000 apiece, while Ram Thapa and Dhana Thapa shared the eighth position that earned them Rs 8,250 each. Pashupati Sharma and Sachin Bhattarai received Rs 6,500 each for their joint 10th place finish.

Rupak Acharya won the amateur section title despite carding 11-over 78 for a total of 21-over 222. Ramesh Adhikari was a distant second at 231.

In the main event, Nagarkoti carded one-over on the either half. On the front nine, he had a lone bogey on the sixth hole to take a turn at one-over 34. On the back nine, he dropped two shots on 12th before carding a birdie on the 14th. He dropped a shot in the next hole and carded another birdie on the 17th.

Rajan Thapa had two bogeys for a two-over 35 front nine while his back nine of four-over 38 included three bogeys, one double bogey against a lone birdie. Bhandari was level with Nagarkoti after the one-over 34 front nine but dropped three shots on the first two hole and three more on the next three holes. Rajan benefitted from Bhandari’s fall to finish second, his career high finish.

President of Nepal Professional Golfers Association (NPGA) and the main sponsor of the fifth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2009-10, Rabindra Man Shrestha along with RNGC President Madhukar Yakthumba gave away prizes.