Sukra, Bhuvan, Niraj Set Up Thrilling Finish in Surya Nepal Challenge

Kathmandu, May 23 -- Ex-top professional Sukra Bahadur Rai increased his advantage to three strokes following the third round of the Surya Nepal Challenge, which commenced on Tuesday, held at the par-72 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Thursday.

On the third day, Rai secured a 5-under 63, bringing his cumulative score over 54 holes to an impressive 11-under 193. Heading into the final round, he leads Bhuvan Kumar Rokka by three strokes.

At the turn, Rai was at 3-under with a score of 31. He secured birdies on the first, second, fourth, and eighth holes but lost a stroke on the third hole. Continuing his strong play, he notched additional birdies on both the eleventh and twelfth holes, ending the latter nine holes at 2-under par with a total of 32.

Rokka, on the other hand, carded four birdies on the fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth holes before taking the turn at bogey-free 4-under 30. He carded 1-under 35 on the back nine after he dropped a shot on the 16th hole against birdies on the 12th and 13th holes.

Rokka secured a 5-under 63, advancing to second place with an overall score of 8-under 196. Initially, both Rai and Rokka were tied for the first-round lead after posting a 7-under 61 each. Nonetheless, Niraj Tamang delivered the strongest performance of the round, recording a 6-under 62, which propelled him to third place with a cumulative score of 7-under 197.

In third place, Tamang had a flawless round without any bogeys, recording three birdies in the front nine and another trio of birdies in the back nine. He began impressively with birdies on the first, second, and fourth holes, then went on to secure additional birdies at the 10th, 13th, and 15th holes.

After slipping with an even-par 68, Dinesh Prajapati dropped to fourth place at 5-under 199. In contrast, Toran Bikram Shahi advanced to fifth position at 3-under 201 following his impressive 4-under 64 performance in the third round.

At the same time, the defending champion Rabi Khadka and Sanjay Lama are jointly holding the sixth position with a score of 2-under par 202. Khadka managed a round of 3-under par 65, whereas Lama secured a score of 1-under par 67.

Jayram Shrestha and Basanta Raj Gurung jointly hold the eighth position with a score of 1-under par 203. In the third round, Shrestha recorded an impressive 3-under par 65, while Gurung managed a solid 2-under par 66.

Ramesh Adhikari and Nepal’s top player Bhuvan Nagarkoti are both tied for 10th position with a score of 1-over par 205. Adhikari scored an impressive 4-under-par 64, whereas Nagarkoti managed a solid round of 2-under-par 66.

In the amateur category, national team player Rahul Biswakarma increased his advantage to three strokes ahead of Nischaya Jung Rayamajhi. Biswakarma maintained consistency with an even-par score of 68 in the third round, totaling 1-over par 205, whereas Rayamajhi scored 2-over 70. Currently, Rayamajhi stands at 4-over par 208, placing her in second position.

The 72-hole tournament carries a cash purse of Rs600,000. While the main event will conclude on Friday, there is a 'Pro-Am' event on Saturday in which amateur golfers will team up with professionals.