Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti took sole lead after the second round of the Surya Nepal Kathmandu Open, the first event under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22, at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Nagarkoti, who had finished joint third in the opening round on Monday, played a card of one-under 67 for the 36-hole score of six-under 130. He is one stroke ahead of Rabi Khadka, who also carded one-under 67 in the second round.

Amateur Subash Tamang, the 13th South Asian Games double gold medalist, had the best score of the day at four-under 64. He is tied at four-under 132 with overnight joint leader Jayaram Shrestha who played two-over 70 at third place. Shrestha had carded six-under 62 to share the lead with Kumar Kami on the first day.

Dinesh Prajapati, Sanjay Lama and Kami are jointly in the fourth position among pros at two-under 134. Prajapati played two-under 66, Lama one-under 67 on the second day in a row and Kamai faltered at four-over 72. Dhana Bahadur Thapa (one-over 69) is seventh at even-par 136. He is one stroke ahead of Sukra Bahadur Rai (even-par). Bhuwan Kumar Rokka (seven-over 75) is ninth at 137.

Ramesh Adhikari and Krishna Man Rajbahak share the 10th position at 140, while four pros — Rajendra Shrestha Pradhan, Rame Magar, Surya Prasad Sharma and Bhimsen Chaulagain — are jointly in 12th place at five-over 141.

Niraj Tamang and Pradip Kumar Lama are in 16th position at 143, while Binod Tamang is 18th at 144. Kamal Thapa, Tirtha Paudel and Basanta Raj Gurung survived the cut which was applied at 10-over 146.

Leader Nagarkoti played one-over 35 on the front nine that included a bogey in the ninth hole. After taking the turn, he carded birdies in the 13th, 17th and 18th holes against a bogey in the 15th hole to finish the back nine at two-under 32.

Khadka played one-under 33 on the front nine with a birdie in the first hole and birdies in the 14th and 18th holes against bogeys in the 10th and 16th holes for even-par 34 on the back nine.

In the amateur section, Tamang is 13 strokes ahead of Nischaya Jung Rayamajhi, his closest competitor. Tamang sank an eagle on the par-five fourth hole and dropped a shot in the next hole. He carded birdies in the second and ninth holes for a front nine score of three-under 31.

After taking the turn he started with a birdie and added another in the 17th hole before dropping a shot in the final hole.

Amateur Rayamajhi played five-over 73 for the 36-hole total of nine-over 145. Mithun Rai (146), Suresh Tamang, Mahendra Phagami and Bidur Tamang secured third to sixth places in the amateur category to secure a place for the final two rounds.