Golden Boy Subash Eyes Faldo Series Nepal Championship Defence

Kathmandu, Nepal (December 27): History-making Subash Tamang is aiming for another heart-warming success when he tees-off in the eighth edition of the Faldo Series Nepal Championship next week.

Less than a month after claiming Nepal’s first individual golfing gold medal at the South Asian Games, the 17-year-old will make an emotional return to Gokarna Forest Golf Resort as an overwhelming favourite in the 11th event of the 2019-20 Faldo Series Asia season.

“I believe the success in the South Asian Games has given me a new life,” said Subash, who joined forces with Sukra Bahadur Rai, Tanka Bahadur Karki and Niraj Tamang to add a second gold medal by topping the standings in the men’s team event.

It was the latest chapter in Subash’s remarkable rags to riches tale that has catapulted him to stardom in Nepal and captured the imagination of the region’s golfing fraternity.

Hailing from a poverty-stricken family in a remote part of Lalitpur district, some 40 kilometres south of the capital Kathmandu, Subash has defied astonishing odds to carve himself a career in golf, rising to 626th in The R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and provoking hopes of a brighter future for himself and his family.

In the wake of his South Asian Games triumphs, Subash told The Himalayan Times newspaper that his motivation to continue progressing in golf is to build a house for his parents away from the hut in which he grew up, and to provide a proper education to his younger brother, Arjun.

“I want to build a house first as my parents are facing a lot of problems in the hut. And I want my brother to study in a boarding school so that he can lead a better life.

“If I complete these responsibilities, I can focus on my golf career. After playing for the country as an amateur golfer for a few more years, I will try my hand on the Indian Tour and beyond,” Subash was quoted as saying.

For now, Subash is focused on retaining his Faldo Series Nepal Championship title at the Gokarna course, situated inside the Gokarna Protected Forest, 10 kilometres from Kathmandu city and Tribhuvan International Airport.

Another victory there would guarantee him a return trip to Vietnam’s Laguna Lăng Cô in March, 2020 for the 14th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.

Competing in the Boys’ Under-16 category at Laguna Lăng Cô this year, Subash improved his score each day, following an opening 79 with rounds of 76 and 73 that saw him finish tied for 14th in his age group.

Six-time Major champion Faldo said: “It was uplifting to see the success Subash achieved at the South Asian Games. He deserves tremendous credit. His perseverance and determination is an inspiration and I look forward to congratulating him in person.”

The 2019-20 Faldo Series Asia season is supported by The R&A and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation. The International Junior Golf Academy is a partner of the Faldo Series.

As well as a series of qualifiers in Thailand, the FSA schedule includes two events in China and championships in Australia, Bangladesh, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

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 champions include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, both multiple Major winners, while recent LPGA Tour winners include Thidapa Suwannapura (2010 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Girls’ champion) and Nasa Hataoka (2016 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Girls’ champion) who claimed her third LPGA Tour title in March.