Sanjay & team win Surya Nepal Eastern Open pro-Aam title

DHARAN: Pro Sanjay Lama and his team of three amateur golfers won the title of the Surya Nepal Eastern Open at the Dharan Golf Club on Saturday.

Sanjay scored 41 points to lead the winning team of Bhuwanesh Limbu, Bina Sapkota, and Shyam Limbu with a total score of 167 points.

Bhuwanesh scored 43 points, Bina earned 42 points, and Shyam accumulated 41 points.

The team of pro Bhuvan Nagarkoti and amateur golfers SSP Bhim Dahal, Purna Bahadur Rai, and Bal Bahadur Rai finished runner-up with 159 points. Nepal No. 1 pro Bhuvan earned 39 points, while all three amateur golfers scored 40 points each.

Likewise, pro Niraj Tamang and amateurs Diwash Tuladhar, Siddhant Sapkota, and Sushma Singh came in third at 155 points. Niraj scored 38 points, while all three amateur golfers on the team earned 39 points.

Bina Sapkota won the best individual award among women golfers with 42 points. Sanjiv Chhetri won the longest drive award on Hole No 18 and SSP Bhim Dahal got closest to the pin award on Hole No 17.

A total of 60 golfers, including 48 amateurs and 12 pros, took part in the event. Nepal Golf Association Vice President Tilak Rai, Koshi Province Golf Association Vice President Bharat Tamang, and Dharan Golf Club Secretary Deoraj Rai handed over prizes to the winners.

The main event concluded on Friday. Local pro Niraj Tamang won the 54-hole tournament with a record-equaling total score of 17-under-193. He also set a new course record of 8-under-62 in the first round.

Bishnu Prasad Sharma finished second at 7-under 203, and Bal Bhadra Rai came third at 3-under 207. The third tournament of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2024-25 carried a cash purse of Rs 882,000. Pro Ramesh Adhikari fired a hole-in-one on the eighth hole on the first day.

The next event of the season, the Surya Nepal Western Open, will be held at the Himalayan Golf Course in Pokhara next month.