Nagoya, Oct 3 (PTI) Pranavi Urs on Saturday became the first Indian woman golfer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games, overcoming the fatigue of a sleepless night to maintain a slender one-stroke lead that also helped the country claim the team silver and round off its best show at the event in 44 years.
The 23-year-old from Mysore sent in three birdies to recover from a horrendous triple bogey on the third hole, which had wiped away her three-stroke overnight lead.
With a final round score of even-par 70, she ended with a total of 15-under 265 for four days, a stroke ahead of the pack. The silver went to China’s Yin Ruoning (67) and bronze was taken by Singapore’s Shannon Tan (68) following a playoff after both ended with overall scores of 266 in what was a tense finish for the top three.
“I like being the first to do things. People will come along to do more but the first will always be the first,” a jubilant Pranavi said after the historic triumph.
Pranavi’s performance, that included birdies on the 6th, 10th and 13th holes in the final round, also became a crucial factor in fetching India the team silver with other members being Aditi Ashok (67 in final round) and Diksha Dagar (77 in final round).
Pranavi later admitted that she could not sleep last night and was nervous at the start of the final day.
“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,” she quipped.
With her three-stroke lead wiped off quite early in the day, she was put under pressure by China’s Yin Ruoning, a six-time LPGA winner, who struck birdies on the second and the fourth holes at the Kasugai Country Club.
Yet, Pranavi, recalling some great comebacks by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Nelly Korda, her two favourite golfers, regained her composure and brought her nerves under check to win.
Aditi Ashok shot 67 in the final round and it included six consecutive birdies on the back nine. She ended 14th while Diksha Dagar ended T-23.
In the team event, China was first with a cumulative of 538 and India was second with 546 and Chinese Taipei (560) were third. The two best scores each day counted towards team stakes.
The trio of Pranavi, Aditi and Diksha thus ensured the best ever performance by an Indian women’s golf team at the Asian Games
Pranavi not only caught up with Ruoning but even went ahead once again on the back with splendid birdies on the 10th and the 13th. She held on with a string of five pars to close the final round.
But the celebration took a few seconds for there was no immediate elation when the final putt dropped.
“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.
It was a week which promised a lot at the start and delivered a gold medal in the end. A 66 put her immediately among the leaders on the first day and she followed it with a spectacular 63 in the second round to move to 11-under after 36 holes, just two strokes behind Tan.
Then came another 66 on Friday, taking her to 15-under and giving her a three-shot lead going into the final day. And on the final day, she lost the lead but regained it and went past the finish line with it.
Pranavi said the gold also put her in a perfect position to get her first Ladies European Tour title when she tees up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open later this month.
Aditi had herself made history at the previous Asian Games by winning India’s first women’s individual golf medal, a silver.
This time, it was Pranavi who took the final step.
It was a victory that included both brilliant golf and resilience.
Despite the disastrous triple bogey on the third hole wiping out her entire advantage, Pranavi steadied herself. She found three birdies and each had its own significance.
The one on the sixth gave her breathing space and the one on the 10th brought her back at level with Ruoning.
Then came the dramatic birdie on the 13th as the ball circled the rim and dropped. That brought her back to 15-under and gave her the lead, she did not relinquish till the very end.
The win completed one of the most significant moments in the history of Indian women’s golf.
Pranavi’s gold was also India’s first golf gold at the Games since Shiv Kapur’s men’s triumph in 2002, ending a 24-year wait for the next individual top prize. India had earlier won the men’s individual gold through Lakshman Singh in 1982.
In that edition, Lakshman had joined Amit Luthra, and Rajiv Mohta to bag the team gold as well.
Pranavi, who now plays on the Ladies European Tour, is still searching for her maiden win on it, but has come close to it. Her game has been tested against strong international fields on the Ladies European Tour, but the Asian Games presented an entirely different challenge — four days of golf with a medal and expectations hanging over every shot.
In the end, Pranavi’s ability to reset was perhaps the most impressive part of her performance. PTI Cor PM PM
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