Bhuwan wins Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play

KATHMANDU, March 10: Bhuwan Nagarkoti won the Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play, the fourth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22, at the Royal Nepal Golf Club on Thursday.

Top-ranked Bhuwan defeated fourth-ranked Sanjay Lama 3&2 in the final, which was played over 36 holes. Sanjay was 2-up after nine holes, while Bhuwan reduced the deficit to one after 18 holes. Bhuwan took the lead for the first time going 1-up after 27 holes and he extended the lead to three after 30 holes. Both golfers shared the next four holes and Bhuwan completed the victory with two holes remaining.

Bhuwan claimed his eighth career title and first in the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22 season. Along with the trophy, Bhuwan received Rs 50,000. Runner-up Sanjay earned Rs 30,000. Fifth-ranked Dhana Bahadur Thapa defeated third-ranked Bikash Adhikari on the final hole (2-up) to finish third. Dhana received Rs 22,000 and Bikash earned Rs 18,000.

Four losing quarter-finalists, Dinesh Prajapati, Rame Magar, Jayaram Shrestha and Deepak Magar received Rs 10,000 each. Likewise, eight pros who lost in the first round, Sachin Prasad Bhattarai, Surya Prasad Sharma, Bal Bhadra Rai, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Krishna Man Rajbahak, Rabi Khadka and Shiva Kumar Majhi earned Rs 5,000 each.

Top 16 professional golfers in the Order of Merit of Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2018-19 season were eligible to participate in the tournament. Second-ranked Shivaram Shrestha and 14th-ranked Deepak Acharya did not take part in the tournament and NPGA allowed 17th-ranked Shiva Kumar Majhi and 18th-ranked Sachin Bhattarai to take their places in the draw.

Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd Vice-president (Marketing) Dipra Lahiri and RNGC President Prachanda Bahadur Shrestha handed over the prizes to the winners of the tournament. The tournament, organised by Nepal PGA under the sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, carried a cash purse of Rs 200,000.