The Royal Nepal Golf Club pro won the title of Ghana´s Open golf tournament at the Army Officers´ Golf Club on Thursday defeating overnight leader Rabi Khadka by a stroke. [break]
Adhikari, who turned pro last season from NPGA President Cup, carded two-under 70 on the fourth and final day for a total of eight-under 280 while Khadka registered a card of one-over 73 for a total of seven-under 281.
Adhikari, the 23 year old from Kumarigal, Kathmandu who started his golfing career from ball boy and still works as caddie to amateur golfer and veteran photo journalist Gopal Chitrakar, kept his cool to seal maiden victory and bag Rs 60,000. Runner-up Khadka settled for Rs 40,000.
“The win motivates me to do better in the upcoming tournaments,” said Adhikari.
Adhikari hit a total of five birdies against three bogeys on the final day, while Khadka shot three against four.
Khadka, who led for the first three rounds, began the day with two-stroke cushion but fell behind after the eighth hole. Adhikari led by one stroke before taking the turn and extended the lead to three strokes with back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. The lead came to one stroke after the 12th hole where Adhikari suffered a bogey and Khadka carded a birdie.
Adhikari extended the lead to two strokes on the 14th hole with a par after Khadka suffered a bogey but the latter pulled one down with a birdie on the next hole. Both the players carded birdies on the birdies on the 16th and dropped shots on the 17th hole before Adhikari two-putted from 10 yards to claim the title.
Third-placed Shiva Ram played two-under 34 on the front nine including birdies on the third and ninth holes, while his back nine score of even-par 46 included two birdies and as many bogeys.
“I sensed a victory after hitting back to back birdies on 10th and 11th hole extending the lead to 3 stroke and kept my cool to win the title,” said Adhikari.
“He played better than me today (on Thursday) and won with good score,” said runner-up Khadka.
Nepal No 1 and two-time defending champion Shiva Ram Shrestha shot two-under 70 to finish third with the total score of two-under 286. He bagged Rs 30,000.
Toran Bikram Shahi, who has been playing in the Indian Tour for more than a decade, came fourth at even-par 288 after the final round score of three-under 69 and pocketed Rs 24,000.
Nischaya Jung Rayamajhi claimed the amateur section trophy. The only amateur player who made the cut after the second round, Rayamajhi scored 12-over 84 for a total of 31-over 319.
A total of 40 players - 28 pros and 12 amateurs - took part in the tournament sponsored by Ghana Shyam Thapa, the first pro of Nepal and the two-time World Cup player. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood handed over the prizes to the winners of the tournament, the second event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2011-12.
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