Five events to be held in the new season with total prize purse of Rs 3.86 million
KATHMANDU, MARCH 14
The new season of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour is beginning with the Surya Nepal Central Open here at the Gokarna Golf Club from Monday.
The previous season of the Tour was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the Nepal PGA cancelled the Tour in March after five events. The NPGA has announced five tournaments with total prize purse of Rs 3.86 million in the new season.
"Due to time constraint, we could include just five events in this season," said NPGA General Secretary Deepak Acharya. "We have to end the season in May as we cannot play in monsoon.
And we have to begin the new season in September," he added.
Out of the five events, Dharan Open and Surya Nepal Order of Merit Open are new tournaments in the calendar.
"As we have only five events in this season, so we could not include regular tournaments such as Surya Nepal Eastern Open," said Acharya. "Hopefully we will come up with full calendar in the next season."
The season-opening tournament, Central Open carries a cash purse of Rs 735,000. In all 63 golfers - 44 pros and 19 amateurs - will take part in the 72-hole event. Top 21 pros and three amateur golfers will make the cut after 36 holes.
Top three pros will receive Rs 130,000, Rs 84,000 and Rs 60,000 respectively.
Reigning Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti, veteran Rame Magar, Sukra Bahadur Rai and Sanjay Lama are expected to give tough fight to each other in the main event, while South Asian Games double gold medallist Subash Tamang, Tashi Tshiring and Sadbhav Acharya in fray for the amateur title.
The 14-year-old Acharya will be the youngest participant in the Tour when he tees off tomorrow.
NPGA President Rabindra Man Shrestha said: "The Surya Nepal Golf Tour is on its 13th year and what a platform that it has provided for competitive golf in Nepal -for professionals and amateurs.
Due to the COVID-19, we were unable to hold events for a long time last season but I am excited that the competition has started.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 15, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
