Kathmandu, November 11:

New golfing sansation Shiva Ram Shrestha won the Samsung Mobile NGA Match Play Golf Tournament here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) today.

In the 36-hole final, Shiva Ram made a winning start but it was Rabi Khadka, who stole the limelight to go one-up after the first nine holes. The pros went neck-to-neck in the next nine holes but Khadka pulled off a spectacular shot on the 18th hole for a tap-in birdie to maintain the lead.

After the lunch break, Shiva Ram went two-down when he missed a short putt on the 20th hole and Khadka threatened to go three-up but he missed a three-foot putt on the 21st hole.

Shiva Ram took advantage of Khadka’s disastrous tee shot on the 23rd and went on to win three straight holes to go one-up. Khadka made a birdie on the 26th to square the match, but made another blunder on the next hole when he missed the green giving Shiva Ram one-shot lead after 27 holes.

Khadka birdied the next hole to level the match but Shiva Ram bounced back and won three straight holes. Shiva Ram then made a two-putt par to win the match 4/3 on the 33rd hole after Khadka found the bunker on the tee shot. Shiva Ram earned Rs 50,000, while Khadka received Rs 30,000.

The tournament was the third event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2008. “I am extremely happy to win the tournament,” said Shiva Ram, who also won the previous two events under the Tour. “My opponent was tough and I made lots of mistakes in swing and putting,” said Shrestha, who finished in the top 10 in one of the five events he played in the the Professional Golf Tour of India.

Khadka said that he was confident of winning the match. “I played my natural game,” said Khadka. “I made a couple of mistakes after the 18 holes and the blunder on the 27th hole cost me the championship,” added Khadka.

Earlier, Deepak Acharya defeated Ram Thapa by two shots with one hole remaining to finish third. Unlike in the Tuesday’s semi-final match against Shiva Ram, Acharya played a good round of golf to beat Thapa.

Acharya pocketed Rs 22,000 and Thapa got Rs 18,000. The losing quarter-finalists received Rs 10,000 each and the eight golfers who were eliminated from the first round got Rs 5,000 apiece. IMS Tele Trade Pvt Ltd is the main sponsor of the tournament and Sulux Centre

the co-sponsor. The fourth event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2008 will be held at the Himalayan Golf Course in Pokhara from November 27.

Member Secretary of National Sports Council Jeevan Ram Shrestha, NPGA President Rabindra Man Shrestha, NGA President Vinode SJB Rana, RNGC President Madhukar Yakthumba, and IMS Tele Trade Pvt Ltd Chairman and NPGA General Secretary Tashi Ghale among others gave away prizes.

£5,000 for NGA

KATHMANDU: The Royal and Ancient (R&A) Golf Club of Scotland is providing Nepal Golf Association (NGA) with £5,000 for the youth development programmes.

“In the first phase, the apex body of golf is giving us £5,000 and 10 sets of junior golf set for

the development of the sport among youth in Nepal,” said Dorjee Tsering Sherpa, secretary fo NGA and the member of Golf Development Committee under the NGA. NGA General Secretary Tashi Ghale is the convenor of the three-member committee which also includes Purna Man Shakya.

“We have planned to organise training camps for the youths (below 14) at all the six golf courses of the country,” he added. Sherpa also said that the R&A had asked the NGA to send the training itenery. “We will coordinate with the National Sports Council and finalise our programmes before sending to the R&A,” Sherpa said.

Meanwhile, the NGA postponed the selection tournament for the SAARC Golf Championship 2008 after the hosts Bangladesh postponed the Championship due to the elections in the country. “We will organise the qualifying once Bangladesh confirm the dates for the championships,” the NGA said in a statement. The selection tournament was scheduled to take place at the Gokarna Golf Club from November 12-14. — HNS