Kathmandu, June 18

Amateur golfer Tashi Tsering took lead after the first round of the Surya Nepal Central Open at the Gokarna Golf Club on Monday.

Tashi carded five-under 67 to take one-shot lead in the fourth event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2012-13. Professional golfers Deepak Neupane and Ram Thapa, who shot four-under 68, are one shot behind Tashi.

Defending champion and Nepal No 1 Shiva Ram Shrestha shared the fourth position with fellow RNGC pro Ramesh Adhikari at three-under 69, while Rabi Khadka is sixth at two-under 70. Ramesh Nagarkoti, Sanjay Lama, Surya Prasad Sharma and Ram Krishna Shrestha are tied for seventh at one-under 71. Veteran Deepak Thapa Magar is 11th with the score of even-par 72.

In amateur section, Dinesh Prajapati – the product of Surya Nepal NGA Youth Golf Development Programme -- is six strokes behind leader Tashi. Bhuwan Gurung and Tashi Ghale are tied for third at two-over 74, while Dipendra Rayamajhi is fifth at 75.

Tashi played two-under 34 on the front nine that included birdies on the third and fourth holes. On the back nine, he carded birdies on the 11th and 18th holes and sank two eagles on the 12th and 15th holes.

He also dropped one shot each on the 13th, 14th and 17th holes to finish the last nine holes at three-under 33.

Deepak played one-under 35 on the front nine and added three-under 33 on the back nine. He carded a total of seven birdies – third, seventh, 10th, 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes. He dropped a shot on the fourth hole and suffered a double bogey on the 14th hole.