KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 16
Nepali golfer Sukra Bahadur Rai survived the cut in the final stage of the Tata Steel PGTI Qualifying School 2022 at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club in Ahmedabad today.
Rai played three-over 75 in the second round to add to his overnight score of fourover 76 and posted seven-over 151. He was tied for 51 with six other golfers - five Indians and a Bangladeshi.
Rai made it to the final stage after he finished tied ninth in the pre-qualifying tournament with the score of four-over 148 in 36-hole contest at the same course last week. Top 40 golfers after the four rounds will earn full cards for the 2022 season of the Professional Golf Tour of India, while 20 others will get provisional cards.
Rai was confident of making it to top 40 and earning full card for the Indian Tour.
"I could not play as expected in the first round due to poor tee shots, while I could not putt well in the second round," said Rai. "But I have two more rounds and I am confident of overcoming the glitches to finish in top 40," he added.
Out of the 120 golfers who qualified for the final stage from three pre-qualifying tournaments, 82 players have made the cut for the final two rounds.
In the second round, Rai carded even-par 36 on the front nine before playing three-over 39 on the back nine. He faced a bogey on the 10th and dropped two shots on the par-3 16th hole against a lone birdie on the 14th hole on the latter half.
Rai had also carded even-par 36 on the front nine in the first round and played fourover 40 on the back nine.
Rai said the course was a bit long compared to back home and he needed to keep basics right in the last two rounds to fulfil his dreams of playing in the Indian Tour.
"The course is long here. Now I know that I need to be more careful in tees and approach shots," said Rai, who has already bagged three titles under Surya Nepal Golf Tour since turning pro after winning team event gold medal in 13th South Asian Games held on home soil in December 2019. Rai had won two events of the Tour as an amateur player.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
