The Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship, the ninth and final event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2018-19 tees off at the Gokarna Golf Club on Monday.

The tournament will be played over 72 holes from Monday to Thursday. Cut will be applied after the end of the second rounds with top 24 professionals to make it to the final two rounds. Top six amateur golfers will also advance to the final two rounds after Monday’s play.

In all, 40 professional golfers will be in fray for the top prize of Rs 230,000. The runners-up will earn Rs 140,000 and the third-placed pro will walk away with Rs 95,000. The event offers Rs 1.26 million in total prize money, the highest of all the Tour events this season.

Fourth-placed pro will also get Rs 77,500 and fifth-placed golfer will pocket Rs 66500. Other pros to make he cut are all assured of their share of cash rewards. A total of amateur golfers will test their skills against the pros.

Bhuwan Nagarkoti, Sanjay Lama, Rabi Dhana Bahadur Thapa will be strong contenders of the event along with three amateurs, Sukra Bahadur Rai, Tanka Bahadur Karki and Subash Tamang. Amateurs Rai, Karki and Tamang have also proved their mettle winning the pro titles this season and will be golfers to watch over the course of four days. Nepal No 1 Shivaram Shrestha will not be participating in the Tour finale as the golfer is currently undergoing training in the United States of America.

President of Nepal Professional Golfers Association Rabindra Man Shrestha  said: “This season ending event carries a biggest purse ever in the local tournament. I see lot of enthusiasm in players as they are practicing very hard to finish well in the competition.”