Kathmandu, March 31:

Amateur golfer Prasanna Upreti carded one-over 73 to take lead after the second round of the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship here at the Gokarna Golf Club today.

Professional golfer from Dharan Sabin Sapkota was one stroke adrift at three-over 147 after a round of even-par 72.

Deepak Acharya slipped one position down to third with the total of 148 after the home club pro carded three-over 75.

Krishna Hari Mizar was fourth at 149, while Ram Thapa and Shiva Ram Shrestha were tied fifth with the scores of 150. RNGC pros Ramesh Nagarkoti and CB Bhandari along with amateur Rupak Acharya came in joint seventh at 151. Jaya Ram Shrestha completed the top 10 with the score of 152.

Rabi Khadka (153), Sanjay Lama (154), Deepak Neupane (156), Mani Rai (156), Pashupati Sharma (156), Radhe Shyam Thapa (157) and Krishna Man Rajbahak (157) came in top 15 who made the cut at 13-over 157. Overnight leader Neupane carded 12-over 84 to survive the cut by just one stroke.

Sachin Bhattarai (153) had made the cut but was disqualified for not signing in the card. Dhana Thapa (155) became the third amateur to make the cut eliminating Surya Nepal Eastern Open champion Suman Rai of Dharan, who followed his first round score of 87 by shooting 86 today.

Upreti sank an eagle on the par-5 third hole and had four birdies in the round which he described as ‘not bad’. “After a good tee shot, I was on the green on the second shot and made an eagle-putt from about 40 yards,” he said. “Overall it wasn’t bad. But I believe I can play better than this,” said Upreti. On the back nine, he sank three birdies — 10, 12 and 13 holes — against four bogeys — 11, 14, 15 and 16.

Sapkota had a mediocre round of even-par 72. On the front nine, he had one birdie and bogey each, while he sank an eagle on the par-five 12th before dropping shots on 16th and 18th holes on the turn. On the 12th hole, he reached the green on second shot and made a 20-foot eagle putt. “The overall performance is satisfactory,” said Sapkota. “I putted well and also saved par at times but I could not make birdies from 8-10 feet,” he said.

Deepak Acharya dropped four strokes in three holes on the front nine. He had bogeys on the second and seventh holes and a double bogey on the eighth against a lone birdie on the ninth hole. In an even-par 36 back nine, Acharya had birdies on the 12th and 17th and in between had bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes.