Amateur Sukra Bahadur Rai became the first amateur to clinch two professional titles in a season when the golfer won the Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship on Thursday.

Rai edged out defending champion Bhuwan Nagarkoti by a stroke in the ninth and final event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2018-19 at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club. Rai came into the fourth and final round with one stroke lead over Nagarkoti and it stayed that way at the end of the day as both carded identical five-under 67 on Thursday. Rai had previously won the Surya Nepal Eastern Open in December in 2018.

Rai finished the four-round card of 11-under 277, one shot better than Nagarkoti. As amateurs are not entitled for cash rewards, professional golfer Nagarkoti claimed the top prize of Rs 230,000. Rai, however, lifted both the pro and amateur trophies. The prize money lifted Nagarkoti to top of the Order of Merit with total Rs 663,000 despite ending the season without a single trophy. The current No 1 Shivaram Shrestha, who skipped the last four events, dropped to second in the Order of Merit with the total season earning of Rs 460,500.

Bikash Adhikari moved to third with Rs 411,333 after finishing second among the pros with at even-par 288. Sanjay Lama ended up in fourth with Rs 386,500, while Dhana Bahadur Thapa was fifth in the Order of Merit with the total earning of Rs 381,167.

Army club pro Dhana Bahadur Thapa (74) finished third among the pros in the tournament with the score of two-over 290 and earned Rs 95,000. Sanjok Moktan (76) and Ramesh Adhikari (75) shared the fourth place at four-over 292 and got Rs 73,000 each. Jayaram Shrestha, Rame Magar and Rabi Khadka finished tied for sixth at 293 and got Rs 57,833 each. Four pros Krishna Man Rajbahak, Chuda Bahadur Bhandari, Sanjay Lama and Surya Prasad Sharma were tied for ninth at 296. They received Rs 42,750 each.

Rai shot four-under 32 on the front nine and one-under 35 on the back nine. Rai sank birdies on the second, third, sixth and seventh holes on the bogey-free front nine. He sank birdies on the 10th and 11th holes against a bogey on the 17th hole on his way back. Nagarkoti shot three-under 33 on the front nine and two-under 34 on the back nine. Nagarkoti fired birdies on the second, third, seventh and ninth holes against a bogey on the eighth. On the back nine, he sank birdies on the 12th and 16th holes.

Subash Tamang finished runner-up behind Sukra in amateur section and overall third with the score of five-under 283. Tamang carded one-under 71 on Thursday. Tashi Tshiring ended up in third at 289 after carding three-over 75 in the fourth round.

In all 40 pros and 20 amateur took part in the tournament over the four days. The tournament offered Rs 1.26 million in total prize money. The tournament ends with a Pro-Am event on Friday. A total of 25 pros and 75 amateurs will take part in the Pro-Am.