Kathmandu, January 18

Nepal No 1 pro Shivaram Shrestha and Sabin Sapkota missed the cut, while Toran Bikram Shahi slipped 41 places down after the second round of the PGTI Qualifying School, at the Kensville Golf and Country Club in Ahmedabad today.

Shrestha posted a 16-over 160 after a second straight eight-over 80, while Sapkota played a round of nine-over 81 to add to his overnight 82 as both the players crashed out of the tournament. Shahi, meanwhile, slipped down to tied 50th after playing a round of eight-over 80. He shared the ninth position after the first round score of even-par 72.

Shrestha, who played in the Indian Tour from 2009 to 2015 before opting out, began the second round from the 10th tee and carded two straight birdies on the 11th and 12th holes to keep his hopes alive. But his dreams were shattered when Shrestha suffered a triple bogey eight on the 14th and a double bogey on the 18th hole. After taking the turn, he saved pars on the first two holes but faced another double bogey on third and dropped shots on the fourth, sixth and ninth holes.

Sapkota, a teaching pro in Germany, began the day with a double bogey and dropped shots on the third, fourth, sixth and seventh holes to take the turn at six-over 42. He added four more bogeys on the back nine against a lone birdie on the 11th hole.

Shahi — a regular player in the Indian Tour since 2008 — also did not fare well in the second round. He began with a bogey on the 10th and added two more on the 13th and 15th holes to take the turn at three-over 39. On his back nine, Shahi faced bogeys on the first, third and eighth holes and dropped two shots on the seventh.

Kunal Bhasin of Australia fired five-under 67 to move atop the leaderboard with the 36-hole total of two-under 142. Indian amateur Shivnaren Srinivasan carded a 71 and was one stroke behind after he jumped seven places to second. Three Indian players — Rajesh Kumar Rawat, Gunvir Rana and Sunit Chowrasia — shared the third position at even-par 144.

Cut was applied at 13-over 155 with 84 out of 130 making it to the final two rounds. Top 36 players will earn full cards for the 2018 season of Professional Golf Tour of India after the completion of the tournament.