Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship: Toran cards impressive 7-under 65 to take 4-stroke lead on day-1

KATHMANDU: Toran Bikram Shahi took lead after first round of the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship, fifth event under Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2024-25, at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Tuesday.

Toran carded an impressive 7-under 65 on the opening day of the tournament and he is four strokes ahead of Niraj Tamang and Sanjay Lama. Niraj and Sanjay carded 3-under 69 each. Three pros, Dinesh Prajapati, Jayram Shrestha and Tanka Bahadur Karki are tied for fourth at 2-under 70.

Rabi Khadka is seventh at 1-under 71, whereas three pros Bhu Bahadur Gurung, Bal Bhadra Rai and Ramesh Adhikari are tied for eighth at even-par 72 along with defending champion and Nepal No 1 amateur golfer Sadbhav Acharya.

Leader Toran carded a total of eight birdies on his way to playing 3-under 33 on the front nine and 4-under 32 on the back nine. He carded four birdies on the second, third, fifth and ninth holes and faced the lone bogey of the day on the eighth hole. After taking the turn, Toran carded birdies on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes.

Winner of two events, Niraj carded 3-under 33 on the front nine making birdies on the third, fifth and seventh holes. He settled for even-par 36 on the back nine after he carded a birdie on the 11th and faced a bogey on the 13th hole.

Sanjay took the turn at 4-under 32 before playing 1-over 37 on the back nine. On the bogey-free front nine, he carded birdies on the first, third, fourth and seventh holes. On the back nine, he faced bogeys on the 10, 16th and 18th holes against birdies on the 11th and 13th holes.

In amateur section, Sadbhav is three strokes ahead of fellow national team member Rahul Bishwakarma and Babu Kumar Poudel.

Defending champion Sadbhav carded even-par 72, while Rahul and Babu are tied for second at 3-over 75. Nepal No 1 pro Bhuvan Nagarkoti, who fired a Hole-in-One on the par-3 fifth hole, struggled on the first day, shooting 1-over 73 and he is tied for 12th place with Rame Magar, Deepak Magar and Basanta Raj Gurung.

A total of 39 golfers – 30 pros and 9 amateurs – are taking part in the tournament organized by PGA Nepal under the sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

Cut will be applied after second round, with top 21 pros and amateurs making it to the final 36 holes.

The tournament carries a cash purse of Rs 882,000. The winner of the event will bag Rs 150000, the runner-up will earn Rs 100,000 and the third-place pro will get Rs 75000.

Other pros in top 21 will also earn their share of prize money.