By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Oct. 15: Subash Tamang will mark a historic milestone for Nepali sport on Thursday when he becomes the first golfer from the country to compete on the DP World Tour at the DP World India Championship.
His appearance makes Nepal the 120th nation represented on golf’s Global Tour since its inception in 1972, following the debut of players from Rwanda, Bulgaria, and the Dominican Republic earlier this season.
Tamang’s journey began at the Royal Nepal Golf Club in Kathmandu, one of only seven courses in the country, where he was introduced to the game as a young spotter.
“I was introduced to golf by my cousin’s son, who was a spotter at the Royal Nepal Golf Club,” Tamang said to DP World Tour.
“Some members then brought me on as a spotter, and eventually I picked up a club. I started playing when I was 11 years old, and now I am 24. Having played all seven courses in Nepal, Royal Nepal remains my favourite.”
Tamang first rose to prominence as the first Nepali golfer to enter the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
He previously etched his name in local golfing history by becoming the first player from Nepal to win the All India Amateur Championship and a national title on Indian soil.
Currently ranked 1,716th in the professional standings, Tamang has accumulated nine top-10 finishes over the past three seasons on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
He made the cut earlier this season at the DP World PGTI Open on the HotelPlanner Tour and views this week's US$4 million tournament at the Delhi Golf Club as a crucial stepping stone.
Golfer Tamang also became the first Nepali golfer to play all four rounds at the Asian Games. During the 20th Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, he finished 23rd overall in the men's golf. He is the first Nepali golfer to win gold in South Asian Games and to play European tour.
“I am thrilled to be the first Nepali golfer on the DP World Tour and to represent my country here,” Tamang said.
“It feels incredible to be playing alongside world-class golfers like Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. My goal is to progress from the PGTI to the Asian Tour, and ultimately to the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.”
Tamang secured his place in the 24-player PGTI contingent after finishing 23rd in the Race to DP World India Championship standings following the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida.
In 17 appearances on the Indian tour this season, he made 14 cuts and achieved two top-10 finishes, earning INR 2.593 million (Rs 25.93 lakh) in prize money.
The PGTI field in Delhi includes 21 Indian professionals and 3 foreign qualifiers, with Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain and the Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek joining Tamang as the overseas representatives.
Tamang will make his first professional start on the DP World Tour at 7:55 am local time alongside Indian pair Manoj S and Azhar Mohd.
How did you feel after reading this news?