Sukra Bahadur Rai and Bhuwan Kumar Rokka shared the lead after the first round of the Surya Nepal Challenge at the par-68 Royal Nepal Golf Club on Tuesday.

Sukra and Bhuwan carded 7-under 61, and they are three strokes ahead of Dinesh Prajapati. Dinesh carded a 4-under 64 in the first round.

Co-leader Sukra, who is playing in the domestic tour for the first time in almost two years, took the turn at 2-under 32, and he carded 5-under 29 on the back nine. On his way to playing a bogey-free round, Sukra carded birdies on the third, fourth, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th holes.

Bhuwan carded an impressive 5-under 29 on the front nine and played 2-under 32 on the back nine. He carded five birdies on the first, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth holes on the bogey-free front nine. He added three more birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th holes before facing the lone bogey of the day on the 16th hole.

Similarly, Nepal’s No. 1 pro, Bhuvan Nagarkoti, is fourth at 3-under 65, and Rame Magar is fifth at 2-under 66. Pradip Kumar Lama, Deepak Magar, Niraj Tamang, Jayram Shrestha and defending champion Rabi Khadka are tied for sixth at 1-under 67.