“I like being the first to do things. People will come along to do more but the first will always be the first.”
And Pranavi Urs’ name was right up the leaderboard as she created history as the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in golf. Pranavi produced a remarkable comeback on Saturday to become the first Indian woman golfer to win an individual gold medal at the Asian Games, holding her nerve after a disastrous triple bogey to secure a historic victory.
Asian Games, October 3 updates
The 23-year-old from Mysore started the final round with a three-shot advantage but saw it disappear almost immediately after dropping three shots on the third hole. Despite the setback, Pranavi recovered with three birdies and eventually finished the tournament at 15-under 265, one shot clear of China’s Yin Ruoning.
Yin, a six-time LPGA winner, carded a 67 in the final round to finish on 14-under 266. Singapore’s Shannon Tan also ended on 266 after shooting 68, before winning the playoff for the bronze medal.
Pranavi’s final-round 70 included birdies on the sixth, 10th and 13th holes. After losing her advantage early, she found herself under pressure as Yin picked up birdies on the second and fourth holes at Kasugai Country Club.
But Pranavi refused to let the early setback derail her. She drew inspiration from comebacks by two of her favourite golfers, Rory McIlroy and Nelly Korda, and gradually regained control of the contest.
The birdie on the sixth gave her some breathing room, while another on the 10th brought her level with Yin. The biggest moment came on the 13th, when her putt appeared to circle the rim before dropping in to put her back in front at 15-under.
From there, Pranavi produced five straight pars to close out the round and secure the gold.
Her victory also helped India win silver in the women’s team event, alongside Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar. India finished second with a combined score of 546, behind China’s 538, while Chinese Taipei took bronze with 560.
Aditi delivered a superb final round of 67, highlighted by six consecutive birdies on the back nine, and finished 14th individually. Diksha carded a 77 and ended tied 23rd.
The medal haul marked India’s best-ever performance in the women’s golf team event at the Asian Games.
A SLEEPLESS NIGHT BEFORE GOLD
When you’re on the cusp of creating history, it is normal that you may have some butterflies in your stomach and a sleepless night. That was the case with Pranavi also.
“My boyfriend (golfer Karandeep Kochhar) couldn’t sleep. My cousin sister Vidhatri couldn’t sleep. They all called me. They’re like, ‘we couldn’t sleep. Could you sleep?’ I was like, ‘nope’. So none of us slept last night. So yeah, I just can’t wait to get on a video call with them,” said Pranavi to PTI.
Pranavi’s road to gold had begun with a 66 in the opening round, followed by a stunning 63 that took her to 11-under after 36 holes. Another 66 on Friday pushed her to 15-under and gave her a three-shot advantage heading into the final round.
That lead disappeared on Saturday, but that didn’t deter Pranavi’s belief. She rebuilt her advantage and closed out one of the most significant victories in the history of Indian women’s golf.
Before her teammates drenched her to celebrate the win, Pranavi took some time to soak in the moment.
“I honestly didn’t know I won until Shannon said, ‘Well done’. So yeah, I mean, I just knew it was either a putt to win or it was a putt to force a playoff, and all I wanted to do was obviously hole the putt. I’m glad I could do it. After my first putt, I said to myself, ‘Why did you leave it three feet short?’ But it’s fine,” Pranavi said with a laugh.
The gold also ended a 24-year wait for India to win an individual golf gold at the Asian Games. Shiv Kapur had won the men’s individual title in 2002, while Lakshman Singh had earlier claimed men’s individual gold in 1982.
Lakshman had also been part of India’s men’s team gold-winning squad alongside Amit Luthra and Rajiv Mohta in 1982.
For Pranavi, the Asian Games triumph comes as she continues her career on the Ladies European Tour, where she is still chasing her maiden title. The experience of competing against strong international fields has prepared her for high-pressure situations, but the Asian Games brought an entirely different challenge, with a medal and national expectations attached to every shot.
– Ends
