Pokhara, April 16

Defending Champion Shiva Ram Shrestha climbed atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Surya Nepal Western Open at the par-73 Himalayan Golf Course on Monday.

Shiva Ram carded four-over 77 for a total of four-over 150 to take three-stroke lead over three players – Sanjay Lama, overnight leader CB Bhandari and Deepak Thapa Magar. Sanjay played a round of five-over 78, while Bhandari faltered to eight-over 81 and Deepak shot four-over 77 for the total score of seven-over 153.

Pashupati Sharma (77) and Ramesh Adhikari (78) shared the fifth position at nine-over 155, while Umesh Nagarkoti (80) was seventh with the score of 11-over 157. Rabi Khadka (158), Ramesh Nagarkoti (160) and Surya Prasad Sharma (162) were in top 10 going into the third and final round of the second tournament under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2012-13.

Dhana Thapa, Mani Rai and Yelamber Singh Adhikari shared the 11th position at 164, while Deepak Acharya and Ram Thapa were tied for 14th position at 165. Rajan Thapa, Ram Krishna Shrestha and Sachin Bhattarai shared the 16th position with the score of 166. Deepak Neupane and Dhruba KC, who were tied for 19th position at 168, also made the cut for the final round. Only three pros -- Gorkha Lama, Pravat K Rajbahak and Prasanna Upreti -- failed to make the cut.

In Amateur section, Ram Baniya opened up a 10-stroke lead over Wangchen Dhondup. Baniya, who shared the lead with Wangchen on the first day, carded one-over 74 for a total of eight-over 154. Wangchen is a distant second at 18-over 164 after a round of 11-over 84. Shankar Baniya (84) and Bikash Bogati (80) shared the third position at 165, while Dinesh Prajapati (80) was fifth at 167. Sunil KC and Sanjeev CK were tied for sixth at 168, while Kamal Tamang was eighth at 169. Tirtha Paudel and Tashi Ghale, who shared the ninth position, survived the amateur cut.

In the main event, Nepal No 1 Shiva Ram Shrestha climbed up to lead despite playing four-over 77. Shiva Ram took the turn at two-over 37 and added another two-over 38 on the back nine. His front nine included bogeys on the first and third holes, while he suffered a double bogey on the 13th hole before carding the lone birdie of the day on the next hole. He then dropped a shot on the 16th hole.

Sanjay played five-over 42 on the front nine that included a triple bogey on the first hole, double bogey on the fourth and a bogey on the eighth hole against a lone birdie on the sixth hole. On the back nine Sanjay saved pars on all the holes.

First-round leader Bhandari faltered to four-over 41 on the front nine and added another four-over 40 on the back. He began the day with a birdie but dropped a shot each on the fifth, seventh and ninth and in between dropped two shots on the eighth hole. On the back nine, he suffered bogeys on the 12th, 13, 15th and 16th holes.

Another player to share the second position, veteran Thapa Magar played four-over 41 on the front nine before playing even-par 36 on the back nine. His front nine included bogeys on the first, fifth and eighth holes apart from a double bogey on the third hole. He carded a long birdie on the sixth hole. On the back nine, Thapa Magar had birdies on the 13th and 17th holes against bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes.