Bhuwan Nagarkoti carded four-under 68 to clinch the Surya Nepal NPGA Tour Championship at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Course in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Nagarkoti started the fourth and final round tied for the lead with defending champion Shivaram Shrestha, Dhana Bahadur Thapa and amateur Tanka Bahadur Karki at two-under 214 but the Royal Nepal Golf Club pro overcame the strong challenge to clinch the fifth career title. Nagarkoti finished the 72-hole total score of six-under 282 in the ninth event of the Surya Nepal Tour Championship 2017-18. He received Rs 115,000.

Nepal No 1 Shrestha carded two-under 70 for a total score of 284 and earned Rs 74,000. Purna Sharma, who shot one-over 73 and Rame Magar, who carded one-under 71, finished tied for third at even-par 288. Both earned Rs 47,500 each.

Dhana Thapa and Rabi Khadka finished tied for fifth at 290 to earn Rs 34,500 each. Deepak Acharya, Jayaram Shrestha and Bal Bhadra Rai shared the seventh place at four-over 292. All three received Rs 26,333 each. Ram Krishna Shrestha carded a 74 and ended up in 10th at 293. He got Rs 22,000.

Karki won the amateur category title with the total score of two-under 286. He carded even-par 72 in the final round. Sukra Bahadur Rai and Tashi Tsering were tied on second at two-over 290 but the former claimed the runner-up trophy on countback. Rai carded two-under 70, while Tsering played two-over 74.

Nagarkoti shot one-under 35 on the front nine and three-under 33 on the back nine. He had a bogey on the second but bounced back with birdies on the third and seventh holes. On his way back, Nagarkoti sank birdies on the 10th, 12th and 16th holes. Top-ranked Shrestha carded one-under 35 on each half. He sank birdies on the third and ninth holes against a bogey on the eighth. On the back nine, Shrestha had bogeys on the 14th and 16th against birdies on the 15th, 17th and 18th holes.

In all, 22 pros and eight amateurs made the cut for the final two rounds from the total 60 participants over the first two rounds. The tournament offered Rs 630,000 in total prize money. All the pro who made the cut for the final two rounds received their share of cash prizes. The Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2017-18 ends next month with the Nepal Premier Golf Tournament at the Gokarna Golf Club.