Surya Nepal Central Open,Rahul maintains lead after third round

KATHMANDU: Defending champion Rahul Bishwakarma maintained his lead after third round of Surya Nepal Central Open, the season-opening event of Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2025-26, at par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Wednesday.

Rahul played 1-over 73 on the third day for 54-hole total score of 10-under 206. He is five strokes ahead of pro Jayaram Shrestha. Jayram moved back to second position at 5-under 211 after he carded 4-under 68 in the third round. Bhuwan Kumar Rokka slipped to third at even-par 216 after a round of 4-over 76.

Toran Bikram Shahi made a huge stride in the leaderboard, moving 10 places up to share the fourth position with Sukra Bahadur Rai and Dinesh Prajapati at 2-over 218. Toran carded 6-under 66 to produce the best card of the day. He carded seven birdies and sank an eagle, and faced a double bogey and a bogey. Sukra and Dinesh both played even-par 72.

Nepal No 1 Niraj Tamang (76) and former top pro Bhuvan Nagarkoti (77) share the seventh place at 6-over 222 along with amateur Reuben Thapa (76). Reuben is second among amateur golfers. Pro Pradip Kumar Lama (74) and amateur Sam Doublard (73) are tied for 10th at 7-over 223.

Leader Rahul, who carded 66 and 65 in the first two rounds, could not keep the momentum going on third day. He took the turn at even-par 36, with birdies on the first, fifth and seventh holes, offset by a bogey on sixth and a double bogey on par-3 eighth hole. He struggled to find birdies on back nine and dropped a shot on the 14th hole to play 1-over 37.

Pro Jayaram carded 2-under 34 on both halves. He carded birdies on the first, fourth and seventh holes against a bogey on the second hole. After the turn, he added three more birdies on the 12th, 13th and 17th holes and dropped a shot on the 14th hole.

Bhuwan played 1-over 37 on front nine and shot 3-over 39 on the back nine. He carded a lone birdie on the fifth and sank an eagle on the 12th hole. But he faced five bogeys on sixth, eighth, 13th, 16th and 18th holes, and suffered a double bogey on the 14th hole.

The season-opening tournament offers a total prize purse of NPR 1,050,000, with the champion set to take home NPR 170,000. 

The runner-up will pocket NPR 125,000, the third-place finisher will earn NPR 100,000, fourth place will get NPR 82,000 and fifth place will get richer by NPR 72,000. Prize money will be distributed among the top 18 professionals.