Shivaram Shrestha registered a three-stroke win over Surka Bahadur Rai to clinch the Pilot Golfers NPGA Classic title at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Wednesday.

Shrestha carded three-under 65 in the final round to complete 54 holes at 12-under 196. Rai returned with the matching three-under 65 on the final day, but his relatively poor second-round score meant he finished three strokes behind Shrestha. Both of them carded five-under 67 for a share of the lead in the opening round at the Gokarna Golf Club on Monday.

It was Shrestha’s second title of the season and 46th career win which made him Rs90,000 richer. Rai pocketed Rs60,000.

Bal Bhadra Rai returned a card of three-under 65 for a total of five-under 203 to complete the podium. He earned Rs45,000.

Nepal No. 1 Bhuwan Nagarkoti and Dinesh Prajapati finished a joint fourth with four-under 204. The duo carded one-under 67. Rabi Khadka and Rame Magar shared the sixth position at two-under 206 after both carded even-par 68. They earned Rs23,500 each.

Jayaram Shrestha and Sanjay Lama finished joint eighth position at one-under 207 and they earned Rs19,000 each. They played two-under 66 each.

Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, who produced the best card of the day at five-under 63, finished 10th at even-par 208.

The 13th South Asian Games gold medalist, Subash Tamang, who finished overall third at seven-under 201, claimed the amateur’s title. He carded three-under 65 on the final day, a whopping 32 strokes ahead of second-placed Jitendra Rai.

A total of 45 golfers, including eight amateurs, competed over three days in the Rs500,000 tournament.

The tournament, fourth under Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2019-20 season, is a tribute to first Nepali commercial pilot late Badri Kumar Shrestha. Capt Deepak Thapaliya, Capt Rabindra Purush Dhakal, President of Nepal PGA Rabindra Man Shrestha among other distributed prizes to the winners.