Kathmandu: Bhuvan Nagarkoti surged to the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, the fourth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2025-26, being held at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Thursday.

Bhuvan produced a bogey-free 4-under 64 on the third day, taking his 54-hole total to 6-under 198 and securing a one-stroke lead over Dinesh Prajapati, who also carded a 4-under 64 for a total score of 5-under 199. Rame Magar sits in third position at 4-under 200 after shooting 1-under 67 in the third round.

Sanjay Lama and overnight leader Rabi Khadka are tied for fourth place at 3-under 201. Sanjay posted 2-under 66, while Rabi returned with 2-over 70.

Nepal’s top-ranked professional Niraj Tamang delivered the day’s best performance, producing a remarkable 8-under 60, equaling the course record and climbing to sixth position at 2-under 202. Niraj turned in 6-under 28 on the front nine and followed it with 2-under 32 on the back nine. He began his round with an eagle on the first hole and added birdies on the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth holes for a flawless front nine. Despite a lone bogey on the 11th hole, Niraj bounced back strongly with birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 18th holes to match the course record.

Tanka Bahadur Karki and Jayram Shrestha are tied for seventh at 3-over 207. Tanka delivered an impressive 6-under 62, while Jayram carded 1-over 69. Dhana Bahadur Thapa and Toran Bikram Shahi share ninth position at 5-over 209, with Dhana shooting 2-under 66 and Toran posting 1-over 69.

Amateur Section Update

In the amateur category, Mahendra Phagami and Rahul Bishwakarma share the lead at 3-over 207. Mahendra recorded an even-par 68, while Rahul posted his third consecutive 1-over 69. Swapnil Bhattarai stands third at 5-over 209 after scoring 1-under 67.

Round Highlights

Leader Bhuvan carded 2-under 32 on both halves of the course. He began with a birdie and added another on the seventh hole before making further gains on the 10th and 18th holes.

Dinesh Prajapati turned in 3-under 31, registering birdies on the first, second, fourth, fifth, and eighth holes against bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes. On the back nine, he added birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 13th holes but dropped shots on the 15th and 16th holes.

Rame Magar played a bogey-free 1-under 33 on the front nine with a birdie on the fifth hole. He then recorded an even-par 34 on the back nine, carding birdies on the 13th and 18th holes against bogeys on the 11th and 16th.

Tournament Overview

A total of 55 players, including 34 professionals and 21 amateurs, are participating in the 72-hole tournament organized by PGA Nepal under the sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

The event carries a total prize purse of Rs. 875,000, with the winner receiving Rs. 150,000, the runner-up earning Rs. 105,000, and third place securing Rs. 85,000. Fourth and fifth place finishers will receive Rs. 71,000 and Rs. 63,000, respectively, while the remaining top 18 professionals will also share the prize money.

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