Sunsari, December 29
Nepal No 1 pro Sukra Bahadur Rai won the title of the Surya Nepal Eastern Open with a record score here at the par-70 Dharan Golf Club today.
Local pro Rai produced the best card of the tournament carding a bogey-free seven-under 63 for the winning total of 17-under 193 in the 54- hole tournament under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2022- 23. He registered an eightstroke win over fellow Dharan pro Niraj Tamang, who carded three-under 67 in the final round for nine-under 201.
Rai - who beat the previous record of nine-under 201 held by another local pro Bal Bhadra Rai in 2020 - won first title since becoming No 1 pro in May taking the career major tally to eight. Rai, who was four strokes ahead of Tamang going into final round, carded birdies on the third, seventh and ninth holes before taking the turn, while he added four more 10th, 15th, 16th and 18th on the latter half to cap a bogey-free day. Rai earned Rs 140,000, while second placed Tamang received Rs 90,000.
Winner of the season-opening Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, Bhuvan Nagarkoti came third at five-under 205 after he carded two-under 68 in the final round. Sanjay Lama finished fourth at 206. Nagarkoti and Lama earned Rs 67,000 and Rs 55,000 respectively. Rame Magar (69) was fifth at one-over 211 and he received Rs 47,000. Dhana Bahadur Thapa (73) and Jayaram Shrestha (71) were tied for sixth at 212 and they earned Rs 38,750 each. Dinesh Prajapati (70) came eight at 213, while local pro Bal Bhadra Rai (71) finished ninth at 215 and Surya Prasad Sharma (74) was 10th at 217.
Raj Kumar Rai won the amateur section title with the total score of even-par 210. He played two-over 72 in the final round. Yubaraj Bhujel carded one-under 69 and came second at three-over 213, while Sunder Rai (75) was third at 10-over 220.
A total of 40 golfers - 29 pros and 11 amateurs - took part in the tournament that carried a purse of Rs 800,000.
Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd Brand Manager Bidur Raj Adhikari, Regional Manager Damodar Sharma, Dharan Golf Club Secretary Bharat Tamang and Executive Committee Member Jagmohan Rai gave away prizes to the winners.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 30, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
