SUNSARI, MARCH 25
Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti opened up onestroke lead going into the final round of the Dharan Open Golf Tournament here at the par-70 Dharan Golf Club today.
Nagarkoti carded one-under 69 for the 36-hole total of four-under 136. He will go into the final round with one-shot cushion over local pros Sukra Bahadur Rai and Niraj Tamang. Rai carded three-under 67, while overnight joint leader Tamang played even-par 70 as the 13th South Asian Games gold medal winning team members posted three-under 137 after second round.
Nagarkoti - who won the season-opening Surya Nepal Central Open last week at the Gokarna Golf Club - carded one-under 35 on the front nine. Unlike first round, Nagarkoti made bright start carding birdies on the first and third holes but he faced a bogey on the next. He played even-par 34 on the back nine that included a birdie on the 13th and a bogey on the 15th hole.
Rai carded two-under 34 before taking the turn and added one-under 33 on the back nine. He dropped a shot on the third hole against birdies on the second, fifth and ninth. After the turn, Rai faced bogey on the 14th hole before firing birdies on the last two holes.
Tamang carded three-under 33 on the front nine but he failed to keep the momentum going and settled for three-over 37 on the back nine. He carded birdies on the third, fifth and ninth holes in the bogey-free front nine, while he struggled on the back nine facing bogeys on the 14th, 16th and 18th holes.
Sanjay Lama was fourth at one-over 141 after he carded one-under 69, while Rame Magar and local pro Bal Bhadra Rai shared the fifth position at 142. Magar moved up in the leaderboard after he carded two-under 68, while the winner of last year's Surya Nepal Eastern Open, Rai shot two-over 72.
Amateur Yubraj Bhujel was seventh at three-over 143 after he shot one-over 71, while Deepak Acharya was one stroke further behind after he posted second straight two-over 72. Three pros, Deepak Magar (71), Rabi Khadka (72) and Dinesh Prajapati (73) shared the ninth position with amateur Jitendra Rai (69) at fiveover 145.
The cut was applied at 12- over 152 with 21 pros and six amateurs making it to the final round. Krishna Man Rajbahak, Surya Prasad Sharma, Binod Tamang, Suman Sapkota, Sunil KC, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Sanjok Moktan, Tham Bahadur Rai, Tanka Bahadur Karki and Pashupati Sharma were the other pros who survived the cut. In amateur section, Ritesh Tamang, Raj Kumar Rai, Rupendra Gurung and Santosh Karki made the cut for final round.
The second event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour is organised by Nepal PGA under the auspices of Dharan Golf Club. Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City is the main sponsor of the event, which is supported by The Himalayan Reserve, RC Cola and Magic Footwear. Out of the total cash purse of Rs 500,000, the top three pros will receive Rs 90,000, Rs 55,000 and Rs 41,000 respectively.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 26, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
