KATHMANDU: Nepali professional golfer Subash Tamang got an opportunity to participate in the Kolkata Challenge, co-sanctioned by Professional Golf Tour of India and European Challenge Tour, slated for March 21-24 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata.

The fifth event under PGTI carries a cash purse of Rs 300,000. The tournament is a big opportunity for Subash as he will be playing alongside top pros from PGTI and Challenge Tour. The Challenge Tour is the second-tier men’s professional golf tour in Europe and it is operated by the PGA European Tour.

Subash, who was in the waiting list, got the entry at last minute and flew to Kolkata from Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon. He had returned to Kathmandu on Saturday after he did not get chance to play in the Delhi Challenge in Gurugram.

Subash turned pro from the PGTI Players Championship in Tollygunge, Kolkata in February after he earned full cards from the Qualifying School in Jamshedpur. He claimed 21st and 29th positions respectively in the first two events, the Players Championship and Vooty Masters. He missed cut in Gujarat Open in Ahmedabad earlier this month.

Subash will be returning to the same course where he created history in December last year. He became the first Nepali golfer to win the title of the IGU 122nd Amateur Golf Championship of India at RCGC, which also earned him exemption to PGTI Q-School Final Round.

Another Nepali pro, Sukra Bahadur Rai has pulled out of the tournament because of wrist injury. Sukra — who missed the cut in last week’s Delhi Challenge, first of the two events co-sanctioned by PGTI and Challenge Tour — got injured in training and he is expected to stay away from the course for at least a month.