KATHMANDU: Shiva Ram Shrestha retained the Nepal No 1 status after the RNGC pro topped the Surya Nepal Golf Tour Order of Merit for the fifth straight season.

Shrestha, who won his second title of the season claiming the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship at the Gokarna Golf Club on Thursday, earned a total prize money of Rs 536,120 to finish atop the ranking for the sixth time. Shrestha, who finished atop for the first time in the maiden Surya Nepal Golf Tour season in 2008-09, was pushed to second in the next season after he failed to win a single title handing the Nepal No 1 title to fellow RNGC pro Rabi Khadka.

Shrestha reclaimed the No 1 position in the 2010-11 season and has been at the top for the fifth straight year. Shrestha, who also plies his trade in the Professional Golf Tour of India, has won a total of 28 titles in the domestic circuit, including the PGTI co-sanctioned Surya Nepal Masters. The season also earned another record in his name when Shrestha became the first Nepali pro to make the cut in the Asian Tour event — Panasonic Open — at the Delhi Golf Club in November. After opening with a frustrating 77, Shrestha came back strongly to post a two-under 70 to qualify for the final two rounds. He then shot 71 and 73 to finish 34th in the tournament.

Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club pro Sanjay Lama, who won the Surya Nepal Eastern Open, moved to second in the Order of Merit with a total earning of Rs 360,080. Lama also earned the PGTI cards this season. Bhuwan Nagarkoti (Umesh) of Gokarna Golf Club finished third with Rs 353,093 after he won the maiden career title (Surya Nepal Western Open) this year in Pokhara.

Rabi Khadka, who won Surya Nepal Challenge and NPGA Match Play, slipped to fourth with the earning of Rs 242,360. Surya Prasad Sharma of RNGC was fifth with Rs 241,660. Veteran RNGC pro Deepak Magar (174,230), Dhana Bahadur Thapa (167,583) of Army Club, Rame Magar (151,000) of RNGC, Ramesh Adhikari (133,584) of RNGC and Dharan pro Suman Rai (113,430) were in top 10.

Likewise, Dharan’s Bal Bhadra Rai (Mani), RNGC’s Jayaram Shrestha of RNGC, Dinesh Prajapati of RNGC, Dubai-based Purna Sharma, and Pashupati Sharma of Gokarna finished from 11-15 positions respectively.

Out of the 49 pros registered with the Nepal PGA, four players — Deepak Neupane, Deepak Acharya, RK Pradhan and Rajendra Phuyal — participated and/or made cut in only one tournament, while 11 others failed to earn prize money.

NPGA organised eight events under the Tour that offered a cash purse of Rs 7.72 million, including Rs 4.8 million of Surya Nepal Masters.