Kathmandu, May 27:

Shiva Ram Shrestha played a horrible round of five-over 72 but still registered a four-stroke win over Deepak Thapa Magar at the Golfer Pilots NPGA Classic played under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2008 here at the Royal Nepal Golf Club today.

Shiva Ram finished with a total of one-under 210 in the 54-hole competition, while Thapa Magar returned the card of two-over 69 for a total of 214. Deepak Acharya, Sanjay Lama and Rabi Khadka finished tied third at 218, while Sachin Bhattarai came sixth with 219.

With the win, Shiva Ram earned Rs 100,000 while Thapa Magar received Rs 50,000. Acharya, Lama and Khadka got Rs 18,333, while Bhattarai pocketed Rs 11,000. The top 15 professionals earned prize money in the event where 20 pros and nine amateurs had taken part. Ram Thapa was disqualified for signing in a false score card.

Shiva Ram — who won the Tour-opener Surya Nepal Central Open earlier this month — finished the front nine with one-over 34 that included bogeys on the third and eighth holes and drove the par 4 seventh to sink a lone birdie on the front nine. On the back nine, Shiva Ram hit four bogies, a double bogey and sank two birdies for four-over 38.

Thapa Magar carded two over 69 to finish second. He played a round of one-under 32 hitting a lone birdie on the fourth hole on the front nine. On the back nine, Thapa Magar hit four bogeys and a birdie for three-over 37. Deepak Acharya, who was tied seventh after the second round, carded one-over 68 to leapfrog into the tied third position. Sanjay Lama carded two-over 69, while Rabi Khadka played a round of four-over 71.

Among Amateurs, Rupak Acharya came first with a total of 231, that gave him a one-stroke victory over Prakash Neupane. Dhana Thapa and Megh Raj Baral finished joint third with 236 and Prasanna Upreti was fifth at 238.

RNGC and NGA President Madhukar Yakthumba, NPGA President Ghana Shyam Thapa, RNGC Captain RM Shrestha, Senior Pilot golfer Sudhir Rai gave away prizes to the winners of the event sponsored by Pilot Golfers, Himalayan Bank, Yeti Airlines, Samsung and Panchakanya Group.

The third event under the Tour will be the Surya Nepal Masters from July 3-7 at Le Meridien Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and Spa.