Kathmandu: Top Nepali golfer Sadbhav Acharya secured a commanding 10-stroke victory to clinch 11th Nepal Amateur Open Golf Championship at the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club on Thursday.

Sadbhav carded 2-under 70 in the third and final round to post a record 54-hole total of 20-under 196.

His fellow national team member Rahul Biswakarka finished second on count back after he was tied on 10-under 206 with India’s Sumit Kotwal. Rahul carded 4-under 68 in the third round while Sumit played even-par 72.

Sadbhav and Rahul of Nepal ‘A’ had also won team event gold medal with the score of 24-under 264 over Bhutan’s Nim Dorji Tamang and Dechen Lhendup on Wednesday. Bangladesh’s Shofiqul Islam and Md Shahab Uddin had finished third. Nepal ‘B’ comprising Tashi Tsering and Wangchen Dhondup finished fourth.

Sadbhav, who set the new course record of 12-under 60 in the second round on Wednesday, was eight strokes ahead of Sumit going into the final round.

Sumit cut the deficit to five strokes after the front nine playing a card of 2-under 34 against 1-over 37 of Sadbhav. After taking the turn, Sadbhav carded 3-under 33 and Sumit shot 2-over 38 and he slipped to third on count back.

India’s Ananthi Vivek won the women’s individual section gold medal with the total score of even-par 216. She played 3-over 75 in the final round.

Ananthi, the bronze medalist in the previous edition, registered a 19-stroke victory over compatriot Dia Cris Kumar.

Dia won the silver medal for the second straight edition after she played 8-over 80 for a total score of 19-over 235. Nepal’s Tara Karki bagged the bronze medal with a total score of 254 after she played 91 in the final round.

India’s Vivaan Ubhayakar secured the gold medal in U-16 category with a total score of 1-under 215. Vivaan carded 2-under 70 in the third round and he beat fellow Indian golfer Prince Bainsla by six strokes. Prince carded an even-par 72 for 54-hole total of 5-over 221. Nepal’s Reuben Thapa won the bronze medal with a total score of 13-over 229. He beat Advay Bagla of India on the count back after carding 4-over 76 in the third round.

A total of 57 players from five countries – Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan – took part in the tournament organsied by Nepal Golf Association. Member Secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC) Tanka Lal Ghising, NSC Board Member Kamal Bahadur Bhattarai and NGA President Tashi Ghale among others handed over prizes to the winners.