Teenage golfer Subash Tamang became the third player to win two gold medals for Nepal in the 13th South Asian Games on Friday. He finished top in the men's individual and team event of golf at the par-72 the Gokarna Golf Club on Friday.

Tamang, a fourth-grade dropout, until five years ago, used to hang around the Royal Nepal Golf Course, watching the golfers play. Whenever the balls were out of bound, he would fetch them.

After a year at the golf course, he started practising shots whenever he got an opportunity.

He was once spotted by Tashi Ghale, president of Nepal Golf Association, while he was trying some shots.

“I think I saw some kind of talent in him and picked him for the junior golf camp,” Ghale recalled. “I even admitted him to a school in Sinamangal.”

According to Ghale, Tamang, however, never showed interest in studies and left the school after two years.

“It looked like he was hooked to golf, he would play throughout the day,” said Ghale who helped the native of Panauti, Kavre, to get a contract as a golf player in the Nepal Army.

He also won a silver medal for the Nepal Army at the Eighth National Games in April.

Tamang on Friday carded three-under 69 in the final round for a total of 14-under 274 under the stroke-play format. He registered an eight-stroke win over Bangladesh's Md Fahrad who carded four-under 68 in the final round for a total of two-under 282. Nepal's Shukra Bahadur Rai claimed a bronze medal with 4 over-par 284.

"I had been preparing for the last one year for the Games. Coach Dhan Bahadur Thapa always encouraged me saying I would have a bright future if I win gold," said Tamang, who currently lives in Lele, Lalitpur. "I had prepared accordingly. Nepal Golf Association President Tashi Ghale helped me a lot during preparation. I was able to win because I did better in chip and putt."

In the team event, Rai and Tamang were joined by Tanka Bahadur Karki and Niraj Tamang carding a combined 26-under par 838. Bangladesh got silver with eight-under 856. Sri Lanka got bronze with 14-over 878.

Karateka Manday Kaji Shrestha and taekwondo player Ayasha Shakya were the only other athletes before Subash to claim twin gold medals in the Games.

Later in the day, swimmer Gaurika Singh joined the trio after she added 200m backstroke to her 200m freestyle gold.

Subash who carded 71, 66 and 68 in the first three days, went into the fourth round with a comfortable seven-stroke lead over Niraj, who finished fourth, and equal nine-stroke lead over Fahrad and Md Shahabuddin.

He played even-par 36 at the front nine with birdies on par-five third and par-four ninth holes against boogies at the par-three fifth and par-fourth ninth holes. After taking the turn, he played three-under 33 with birdies in the 10th, 11th, 12th and 18th holes against a lone bogey at 14th.

Bangladesh's Fahrad played the best round of the day with four-under 68. He dropped two shots, with bogeys at the second and fourth holes, but fired birdies at the seventh and ninth to sign off the opening nine at even-par 36. He birdied in the 10th, 11th, 15th and 17th hole for four-under 32.

In the women’s team event, Sri Lanka claimed gold, finishing ahead of Bangladesh. Nepal’s team comprising Kashmira Shah, Rabina Shrestha and Ushma Koirala settled for a bronze.

The individual gold also went to Sri Lanka’s Grace Yatawara while Jakia Sultana bagged silver for Bangladesh. Sri Lanka’s Thuhashini Selvaratnam finished third.