Amateur golfer Tenzing Tsering kept his stunning performance intact as he extended the Surya Nepal Central Open lead to eight strokes after the third round at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Wednesday.

Tsering carded two-under 70—his third successive under-par score—for the 54-hole total of 10-under 206 in the fourth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2016-17. The amateur golfer is eight strokes ahead of Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC)  pro Rabi Khadka who shot a 70 for the total score of two-under 214.

Sanjay Lama (73) was tied for third with Nepal No 1 Shiva Ram Shrestha (70) at one-under 215. Bhuwan Nagarkoti was fifth at one-over 217 after carding one-under 71. Another amateur golfer Tanka Bahadur Karki produced the best card of the day: his four-under 68 saw him climb up to overall sixth at 219. Nepal Army Club pro

Dhana Bahadur Thapa (72) was seventh at 220 followed by Jayaram Shrestha (70) at five-over 221, Bal Bhadra Rai (72) six-over 222 and Deepak Magar (72) at 10-over 226.

Tsering shot three-under 33 on the front nine and one-over 37 on the back nine. After saving pars on the first two holes, Tsering sank birdies on the third, sixth, seventh and ninth holes against a bogey on the eighth. On the back nine, he sank birdies on the 11th, 14th and 16th holes against bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes and a double bogey on the 15th.

Thapa shot even-par 36 on the front nine and two-under 34 on the back nine. He sank a birdie on the second but dropped a shot on the fifth. In his back nine, Thapa sank birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th against a bogey on the 15th hole. 

Lama shot one-over 37 on the front nine and even-par 36 on the back nine. Lama sank an eagle on the third hole and a birdie in the very next hole. He had a double bogey on the seventh and dropped more shots on the eighth and ninth holes. On the back nine, Lama carded birdies on the 11th and 12th holes against a double bogey on the 14th.

Sivaram Shrestha—the winner of the first three events of the tour—shot even-par 36 on the front nine and two-under 34 on the back nine. He sank birdies on the third and fourth against bogeys on fifth and ninth holes. On the back nine, he sank birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th holes against a bogey on the 13th hole.

In all 33 pros and 15 amateurs are taking part in the tournament. Cut was applied after the second round on Tuesday with 21 pros and six amateurs making it to the final two rounds. The event a total cash prize of Rs 600,000. The winner will earn Rs 110,000 and the first and second runners-up will receive Rs 70,000 and Rs 45,000 respectively. All pros making the cut for the final two round are also assured of cash prizes.