Amateur golfer Subash Tamang maintained his lead after the second round of Surya Nepal Western Open at the par-68 Himalayan Golf Course on Thursday.

The 13th South Asian Games double gold medalist Tamang played one-over 69 in the second round for the 36-hole total of one-under 135 to take one shot lead over pro Jayaram Shrestha.

Shrestha played a card of even-par 68 for the second day in a row to go into final rounds with a second round total of even-par 136. Dhana Bahadur Thapa played one-over 69 to climb third at four-over 140 while Sanjay Lama and Niraj Tamang are jointly on fourth spot at five-over 141.

Lama carded even-par 68 and Tamang two-over 70. Nepal No 1 pro Bhuwan Nagarkoti played two-over 70 and shared the sixth position with amateur Ajit BK (73) at six-over 142. Dinesh Prajapati (73) was eighth at 144, while veteran Rame Magar faltered to 75 and dropped to ninth at 145. Bal Bhadra Rai (72) was 10th at 146.

Leader Tamang played two-over 35 in the front nine and one-under 34 in the back nine. He succumbed to triple bogey in the ninth hole and a double bogey in the third against birdies in the first, second and sixth holes. At the back nine, he carded birdies in the 10th, 13th and 17 holes and dropped a shot each in the 12th and 18th holes.

Altogether 21 pros and six amateurs survived the cut which was applied at 27-over 163. Ramesh Adhikari, Bhuwan Kumar Rokka, Rabi Khadka, Bhu Bahadur Gurung, Tanka Bahadur Karki, Shivaram Poudel, Pashupati Sharma, Dal Bahadur Lama, Bhimsen Chaulagain, Binod Tamang, Basanta Raj Gurung, Krishna Man Rajbahak and Dipendra Rayamajhi were the other pros to survive the cut. Amateurs Suresh Tamang, Raj Kumar Rai, Kiran Subba and Jitendra Rai also survived the cut.