Pokhara, February 15

Professional golfer Shivaram Shrestha and amateurs Arshiya Banu, Gita Gurung and Sushma Koirala won the title of the Surya Nepal Western Open here at the Himalayan Golf Course today.

Pro Shrestha accumulated 42 points, while Banu earned 41 points and Gurung and Koirala got 40 points each for the total score of 163 points to finish first. The team of Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti and amateurs Deepak Karki, Gopal Gurung and Dr Rita Thapa came second with 153 points.

Nagarkoti scored 38 points and Karki earned 39, while Gurung and Thapa got 38 points apiece.

Likewise, pro Surya Prasad Sharma and amateurs Capt Lal Gurung, Basanta Gauchan and Bharat Tamang finished third with the total score of 151 points. Sharma and Gauchan scored 38 points each, while Gauchan and Tamang earned 37 points apiece. Banu produced the best card among women golfers with 41 points, while Lt Col Jhalendra Bhattarai and Mithun Rai bagged the longest drive and closestto-the-pin awards respectively.

A total of 78 players took part in the event which was played under stableford full handicap format. Top pro was teamed up with best three amateur cards to decide the winning team, while second-placed pro was in runner-up team along with fourth, fifth and sixth best amateurs.

Likewise, third-place pro teamed up with amateurs from seventh to ninth for the second runner-up team.

Minister for Financial Affairs and Planning of Gandaki Province Kiran Gurung, former President of Nepal Golf Association Madhukar Yakthumba and President of Kaski District Golf Association Maj Lacchim Prasad Gurung handed over the prizes to the winners.

Army pro Dhana Bahadur Thapa won the Surya Nepal Western Open title on Friday to claim his fifth career title.

Thapa posted four-under 203 to win the 54-hole competition ahead of former top pro Shivaram Shrestha (205). Dharan’s Sukra Bahadur Rai was third at 210. The third event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2019-20 carried a cash purse of Rs 700,000.