Pokhara, 13 January, 2014: The sixth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2013-14, Surya Nepal Western Open, will be played here at the Himalayan Golf Course on January 14-17. 14th edition of this event is organized by Nepal Professional Golfers Association which is sponsored by Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd.
The 72 holes professional event 24 professional and 17 amateurs will be testing their skills. The event will conclude with a pro-am on Saturday 18th January in which most Pokhreli amateurs await to team up with country’s professional golfers for much needed exposure.
All the professional and top amateur golfers of the country have already arrived in Pokhara and getting acclimatized to the playing conditions of the most adventurous Himalayan Golf Course. The pros along with few amateurs also had a practice round to know the course better.
The course set in the backdrops of majestic Mt. Machhapuchre and rested in the ravine alongside Bijayapur River is certainly going to test the skills of all the top notch golfers. The prize purse for the event has been raised this year to 514,250 and winner will receive a cheque of Rs.95,000, Runner up 60000, second runner up 44000. Others in the top 21 will also receive their share of cash prizes.
Defending champion and Nepal number 1 Golfer Shivaram Shrestha will be joined by Rabi Khadka, Ramesh Adhikari, Surya Sharma, Ramesh Nagarkoti, Deepak Thapa Magar and Sanjay Lama. In the Amateur section, member of Surya Nepal NGA Golf Development program golfers, Bikash Bogati, and Dinesh Prajapati are main contenders.
Himalayan Golf course has been tweaked to its best standard and awaiting to punish the best players of the game in Nepal. First time the full 16 holes will be played in this tournament’s history, playing only 2 holes twice. The course used to be 9 holes, played twice with par 73 but now it is par 70 now.