Sukra Bahadur Rai, a former top professional golfer, stayed in top form as he extended his lead to three strokes after the third round of the Surya Nepal Challenge at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Thursday.
Rai, who started the tournament strong, carded a solid 5-under 63 in the third round, bringing his 54-hole total to 11-under 193. He now heads into the final round with a comfortable cushion over his closest rival, Bhuvan Kumar Rokka.
How Sukra Bahadur Rai Played the Round
Sukra Bahadur Rai made a strong start, finishing the front nine at 3-under 31 with birdies on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th holes, and a lone bogey on the 3rd. He continued his steady play on the back nine, carding birdies on the 11th and 12th to close with 2-under 32.
Rokka Keeps the Pressure On
Rokka, who shared the first-round lead with Rai, also fired a 5-under 63 to move up to second place with a total score of 8-under 196. He was flawless on the front nine with birdies on the 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th, going out in 4-under 30. A birdie-bogey trade on the back nine gave him 1-under 35.
Tamang’s Best Round of the Day
Niraj Tamang recorded the best round of the day, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 62. His score propelled him into third place at 7-under 197. He showed consistency throughout the round, with three birdies on each half—on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 13th, and 15th holes.
Top 10 Leaderboard After Round 3
| Rank | Player | Score | Round 3 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sukra Bahadur Rai | -11 | 63 |
| 2 | Bhuvan Kumar Rokka | -8 | 63 |
| 3 | Niraj Tamang | -7 | 62 |
| 4 | Dinesh Prajapati | -5 | 68 |
| 5 | Toran Bikram Shahi | -3 | 64 |
| T6 | Rabi Khadka | -2 | 65 |
| T6 | Sanjay Lama | -2 | 67 |
| T8 | Jayram Shrestha | -1 | 65 |
| T8 | Basanta Raj Gurung | -1 | 66 |
| T10 | Ramesh Adhikari | +1 | 64 |
| T10 | Bhuvan Nagarkoti | +1 | 66 |
Bishwakarma Leads Amateur Field
In the amateur category, national team golfer Rahul Bishwakarma continued his solid performance, maintaining a three-shot lead. He carded an even-par 68, keeping his total at 1-over 205. Nischaya Jung Rayamajhi trails in second at 4-over 208 after a round of 2-over 70.
What’s Next?
The final round of the 72-hole Surya Nepal Challenge takes place on Friday, where Rai will look to secure the title. The tournament offers a cash purse of Rs600,000.
Golf fans can also look forward to the Pro-Am event on Saturday, where amateur golfers will partner with professionals in a fun, competitive format.
