Sports
NPGA match play: Khadka edges Lama in final
Rabi Khadka claimed Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play title at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Wednesday.Rabi Khadka claimed Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play title at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Wednesday.
Khadka, the fifth ranked RNGC pro, secured 1-up victory over Sanjay Lama of Tribhuvan Army Club to lift his 11th major career title. The win in the final, played over 36 holes, fetched Khadka a cash purse of Rs 70,000 and along with the title. Runner-up Lama walked away with Rs 40,000.
Though Khadka opened up five-hole lead before the last nine holes, Lama’s comeback bid for the title was rewarded after he prevailed in the next four holes to reduce the deficit to one. But Khadka extended the lead by two holes after he won in the 16th hole. Lama again reduced the deficit to one hole winning the following hole.
But the decisive last hole was halved which ultimately became sufficient for Khadka to register a victory that earned him another title in his trophy cabinet.
With Khadka one-up going into the final hole, Lama hit a wayward tee shot and had to take a penalty drop before reaching the green in the third shot. Rabi fell short in his approach shot and took three strokes to get into the green. Lama had a chance to force the playoff but he missed a par putt from 15 yards and both the golfers settled for bogeys.
Bhuwan Nagarkoti of Gokarna Golf Club secured third place honour. Played over 18 holes, second ranked Nagarkoti overcame Nepal No 1 pro Shivaram Shrestha 1-up. Nagarkoti won purse of Rs 28,000 and Shivaram earned Rs 20,000. The four losing quarter-finalists, Jayaram Shrestha, Bal Bhadra Rai, Pashupati Sharma and Dhana
Thapa bagged Rs 11,000 each. Likewise, the eight pros who were defeated in the initial rounds received Rs 6,000 apiece.
In all 16 pros - top 16 in the last season’s Order of Merit - competed in the tournament that had a total cash purse of Rs 250,000.
Marketing Manager of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd Bal Kishan Gurung and RNGC Captain NK Rai handed over the prizes to the winners. The tournament, sixth event under Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2016-17, was organised by the Nepal Professional Golfers Association under sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd.