Niraj wins Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 11: Niraj Tamang clinched the Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play title, the sixth event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2024-25, held at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Thursday.

Second-ranked pro Niraj defeated eighth-seeded Dhana Bahadur Thapa 5&4 in the 36-hole final. The match ended on the 32nd hole when Niraj established a 5-up lead with four holes to play. Niraj led by 2-up after nine holes and extended his advantage to 6-up at the halfway point, after 18 holes.

Dhana managed to reduce the gap to 5-down after 27 holes, but Niraj secured his win on the 32nd hole. This victory marked Niraj's third title of the season and fourth overall in the Surya Nepal Golf Tour. His maiden title came last season in the Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, while this season he captured the Surya Nepal Eastern Open and the Surya Nepal Western Open trophies.

Niraj earned Rs 60,000 along with the title, while runner-up Dhana received Rs 42,000. Defending champion Dinesh Prajapati edged out Rabi Khadka 4&2 in the third-place playoff, played over 18 holes. Dinesh bagged Rs 32,000, and Rabi took home Rs 24,000.

Quarter-finalists Bhuvan Nagarkoti, Pradip Kumar Lama, Toran Bikram Shahi, and Rame Magar each earned Rs 11,000. Meanwhile, pros eliminated in the first round—Pashupati Sharma, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Tanka Bahadur Karki, Sanjay Lama, Jayram Shrestha, Ramesh Adhikari, Deepak Magar, and Surya Prasad Sharma—pocketed Rs 6,000 apiece.

The event featured 16 pros from the Order of Merit of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2023-24, competing in the match-play format. Deputy General Manager (Marketing) at Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, Keshav Pradhan, and Nepal Golf Association President, Tashi Ghale, awarded the prizes to the winners.