Kathmandu, March 14

Top pro Shivaram Shrestha will take on 16th ranked Sanjeev Nepali in the first round match of the Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play golf tournament here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club on Tuesday.

The sixth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2015-16 pits top 16 pros based on the Order of Merit of previous season. The first round matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals and third-place match will be played over 18 holes, while the championship match will be a 36-hole contest, informed Nepal PGA in a release today.

The first-round matches will be played on Tuesday, while the quarter-finals and semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday. The third-place and final matches will be held on Thursday. No 2 ranked pro Sanjay Lama will face Yelamber Adhikari, while third-ranked Bhuwan Nagarkoti will take on his brother Ramesh, who is ranked 14th.

Likewise, fourth-ranked Rabi Khadka will play against No 13 Pashupati Sharma, whereas fifth-ranked Surya Prasad Sharma take on Dinesh Prajapati. In other matches, veteran pro Deepak Thapa Magar will play against 11th-ranked Jayaram Shrestha, seventh-ranked Dhana Thapa will take on 10th-ranked Bal Bhadra (Mani) Rai and eighth-ranked Rame Magar will play against ninth-ranked Ramesh Adhikari.

The winner of the tournament will earn Rs 50,000, while the runner-up will receive Rs 30,000. The third and fourth placed pros will get Rs 22,000 and Rs 18,000 respectively. The losing quarter-finalists will receive Rs 10,000 each, whereas the eight pros who lose in first round will get Rs 5,000 apiece.