Himalayan High for Tamang in Faldo Series Nepal Championship

A member of his country’s national squad, Tamang fired a closing 74 at Gokarana Forest Resort to clinch a notable victory.

With a 36-hole total of 151, Tamang finished three shots clear of second-placed Tanka Bahadur Karki, who appeared set for a successful title defence after posting an opening 73.

As the winner of the Boys’ 17-21 Division, Tamang will be rewarded with a starting spot in the ninth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final to be staged at Mission Hills in Shenzhen next March.

Also receiving an invitation to participate in the China showpiece that will be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo are Aryan Kumar [winner of the Boys’ Under-16 Division] and Aditi Ghimire [winner of the Girls’ Division].

The 14th leg of the record-breaking Faldo Series Asia season, the Nepal event showcased the brightest young golfing talent from the South Asian nation that is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by India.

And no-one impressed more than Tamang, who had wiped out Karki’s advantage after just two holes of the final round and bounded into a five-shot lead through six.

It was then that Karki found his range, back-to-back birdies at nine and 10 putting him within one shot of the lead. But that would be the closest he was able to get to Tamang who finished in true champion style with a birdie on the home hole.

Meanwhile, Dubai-based Kumar was a worthy winner in his category, ending four shots in front of Prithivi Malla.

An Indian national, Kumar repaid the faith of his friends and confidantes with some solid play to justify his trip to Nepal.

The most clear-cut winner was Ghimire who registered a 13-stroke victory over her nearest rival, Pratima Sherpa.

Six-time Major championship winner Sir Nick, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “It’s been uplifting to see the progress that has been made by the leading Nepalese players in the three years since we launched the Faldo Series Nepal Championship.

“I’m looking forward to seeing that upward trend continue when we gather at Mission Hills early next year.”

Madhukar Yakthumba, President of the Nepal Golf Association, and General Secretary Tashi Ghale handed out the prizes to the winners.

Supported by The R&A, ISPS and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2014-15 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months and is made up of a minimum of 20 championships.

Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006.

Today, 40 Faldo Series tournaments take place in 30-plus countries worldwide, touching more than 7,000 golfers each year. Past winners include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, who took his tally of professional Major titles to four with his wins at July’s Open Championship and August’s US PGA Championship.

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