Sports
Shrestha secures unlikely win
Top-ranked Shivaram Shrestha secured an unlikely victory at the Surya Nepal Central Open on Thursday thanks to the final round meltdown from overnight leader Tenzing Tsering.Top-ranked Shivaram Shrestha secured an unlikely victory at the Surya Nepal Central Open on Thursday thanks to the final round meltdown from overnight leader Tenzing Tsering.
Surprise leader in the first three rounds Tsering virtually handed the trophy to Nepal No 1 Shrestha as the 16-year-old amateur golfer faltered to seven-over 79 in the fourth and final round on Thursday. Shrestha started the final round nine strokes behind Tsering but his three-under 69 meant the Royal Nepal Golf Club pro pipped the 16-year-old golfer by one stroke to clinch the fourth event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2016-17.
Shrestha finished with the total card of four-under 284 for the fourth title of the season and 34 of his career. Shrestha bagged Rs 110,000 for his effort. Tsering finished in second at three-under 285 and had to content himself with amateur category title.
Defending champion Sanjay Lama of Army Club ended up in third behind amateur Tsering but in second among the pros at one-under 287 after carding even-par 72 in the final round. Lama earned Rs 70,000. RNGC pro Rabi Khadka, who shot three-over 75, and Gokarna pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti, who carded even-par 72, finished in a tie for the third at one-over 289.
Army Club pro Dhana Thapa finished in sixth at 296 after shooting four-over 76. Deepak Magar (72) and Deepak Acharya (71) shared the seventh place at 10-over 298. Amateur golfer Tanka Bahadur Karki carded 298 to finish second in amateur section. Bal Bhadra Rai (77) of Dharan ended up in ninth at 299 and Rame Magar (76) in 10th at 304.
Shivaram reduced the gap on Tsering to two strokes after carding four-under 32 as the overnight leader faltered to three-over 39 on the front nine. Shivaram levelled the scores at three-under on the 15th hole after Tenzing suffered a triple bogey. Shivaram took the lead for the first time in the tournament with a birdie on the 17th before two-putting for a par on the final hole to complete the victory.
On the front nine, Shivaram sank an eagle on the third before earning further shots on the seventh and ninth holes to take the turn at four-under 32. He had bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes against a birdie on the 17th hole to finish the back nine at one-over 37.
Tsering, who carded the 66, 70 and 70 in the first three rounds, faltered to three-over 39 on the front nine that included a double bogey on the fourth and a bogey on the sixth hole. On the back nine, he suffered a double bogey on the 13th and a triple bogey on the 15th to virtually threw the trophy away. His lone birdie on the back nine came on the 12th hole. In all, 48 golfers—33 pros and 15 amateur—took part in the event.