Lakshman Singh in 1982 (New Delhi). Shiv Kapur in 2002 (Busan). Pranavi Urs in 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya).For only the third time in history, an Indian golfer won the individual gold at the Asian Games but this one was a bit more special - no Indian woman had achieved this before the 23-year-old from Karnataka. The journey to the top step of the podium had its ups and downs but Pranavi stayed strong, patient and eventually finished the job.
In a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India, Pranavi shares snippets from the dramatic final day in Japan and how a certain Rory McIlroy played a role in her victory, what this gold means for women’s golf in India, and the way forward:
What does being the first Indian woman golfer to win an individual Asian Games gold medal mean to you?
I’ll always be the first. There are going to be multiple winners after me but I’m the one who set that record. For me, that means the world.
What is the next first that you want to chase after this?
Either to win a Major or an Olympic medal.
Can you recap the final hole?
When I hit that tee shot, I knew I hit it well and I was going to cover the water. It’s a difficult hole. When Shannon (Singapore’s Shannon Tan, the bronze medallist) was in the bunker, with that pin position, she wasn’t going to hit it close. And Ruoning (China’s Ruoning Yin, the silver medallist) also couldn’t hit the shot because she had a long iron in. With my distance, I had an advantage. I just had to keep the ball in play after the second shot. And at the time, I also didn’t know I was going to win. I thought making par would force a playoff. Little did I know that the last putt that I hit was a putt to win.
You didn’t know that you were putting for the win?
No, I didn’t. I was, perhaps, too zoned in and I had one of Shannon’s scores wrong on my scorecard because I was marking hers. I thought I needed to putt. Maybe, there’s a playoff and I’ll still have a medal chance. I didn’t know and that’s why I didn’t celebrate after I won. I wish I had known.
If you could go back in time and you knew that the final putt would win you the gold medal, how would you celebrate?
I don’t know because I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve played so many different victory celebrations of mine in my head. I don’t know which one I was going to do. Maybe just a fist bump. It was so surreal that that happened and I didn’t know.
What went wrong when you had a triple bogey early in the final round?
I just got unlucky. It wasn’t even a bad shot. I just started a bit right and ended up in the bunker. Normally, if it’s a plugged ball, you still have a chance but I didn’t really have one. Then, I hit the shot and it came back in my divot, which was deeper. I hit my shot again and it returned to the same spot. So, I was helpless. Now, looking back at it, I wish I had taken an unplayable and things could have maybe played out a bit different but I’ve still got the medal, so I’m not complaining.
How did you mentally bounce back from the triple bogey?
I’ve been working with my psychologist for years now. At the end of the day, the goal is to keep calm when you’re nervous, stick to your game plan, don’t think about anything else and just focus on what you need to do and what’s in your control more than the outcome. On the fourth hole, she (Yin) went one shot ahead and I’m someone who loves chasing. I thought, “You’ve got nothing to lose. You’ve hit rock bottom now. The worst thing has already happened.”I just stayed patient.
Did the experience of Hangzhou help in the final stages in Aichi-Nagoya?
Yes. I knew what to expect this time and how it really works. Being in a team event as well, I knew what I was stepping into whereas in China, it was my first time playing and representing the country. I was not as experienced three years ago. Since China, I’ve secured my card on the LET (Ladies European Tour). I’ve played in a lot of different conditions. I’ve put myself in a lot of different positions. I’ve also put myself in positions where I was in Japan. So, that experience helped me calm my nerves a little bit.
When you said that you were so zoned in that you didn’t know you were about to win, is it a good thing or is it a bad thing to be so locked in?
If I’m getting a gold, then it’s definitely good. Maybe for my social media, it isn’t because I didn’t celebrate. So, I don’t have a lot of pictures of me celebrating. But jokes apart, it’s good as it shows how much you were invested in the game on that particular day, regardless of what happened or under the circumstances I was in. When we were on the 18th green, they called out our names before we could putt, saying we’re so-and-so (positions). I don’t remember that at all.
How significant is this gold when you look at the growth of women’s golf, especially in India?
The greatest joy and pride that I have is to give back to the sport because the sport has given me everything.It’s given more than I could have asked for. If I could win a medal and grow the sport in India, that means the world to me. Not just people in bigger cities but even in villages and smaller towns, if they can see what I did and somehow pick up a club, enjoy the sport or even get to know about the sport, that’s still growth.
You’ve played a lot on the LET tour and a few events on the LPGA as well. Going forward, what do you think you need to do to be a more permanent member on the LPGA tour?
There are certain stats that I need to work on. My coach (Steven Giuliano) and I have been working towards that.And that’s why I feel like my game has also improved so much from the first half of the season. I’m going to continue to do that.
Aditi Ashok’s fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics changed a lot of things for golf in India. Do you feel that you actually winning gold, albeit in a different competition, is a seminal moment in women’s golf in India?
What Aditi did in Tokyo was unreal and that’s when golf in India became popular. I would give all the credits to her. People are comparing me with Aditi and I don’t think I’m as good as her. She’s still way above me and she’s my senior. What she’s done for the sport, I wish and hope to do as much. She’s also a silver medallist at the Asian Games in China.
What kind of decisions were the most important and challenging for you in Japan? Also, how does this gold change your preparation for the Olympics?
The thing that I did on the last hole, if you saw the video, I changed my club on my second shot after I hit the drive. I had a 6-iron but then, I said to my caddy that I’m feeling the adrenaline rush and I can’t be hitting 6-iron because it’s going to go over the green. I’m just going to hit a 7-ironThat was one of the moments where I thought this change might help me get the medal because I didn’t know if it was gold or silver.My preparation for the Olympics is not going to change much. I’m going to be playing a lot of events on the LET. The cutoff date is in June 2028.
How did you celebrate your win?
My parents were there with me. I don’t think it hit all of us that I had won and we didn’t know what was happening. They had a gazillion phone calls and texts so they were overwhelmed as well. And then, the next day we went shopping in Tokyo.
Do you also believe in the power of manifestation?
You can’t just manifest and not do anything. You still have to work hard. Manifestation just shows that that’s your dream and this is what you need to work towards. So, I wouldn’t say you manifest and sit at home doing absolutely nothing.If anything, you work harder because you’ve manifested that and that’s what you want. I do believe in manifestation but that just gives me a goal to work towards.
How was your day prior to the final round?
The night before the final round, me and my psychologist spoke about different scenarios and what start I could have. For the first time, I was more aware of my breath work.Normally, when we have sessions, I’m always goofing around. For the first time, I paid more attention to what she was saying because that’s how nervous I was and that’s how badly I wanted the gold. I had an advantage - a three-shot lead. I had to keep it all together as anything could happen. Till it’s done, it’s not done. While thinking about what I wanted to caption after winning, I was also thinking about things that could go wrong.
On the last hole, of course, you were focusing on yourself but you must have also seen that Yin had a lip out?
I played with her for two days and I don’t think she made a single bogey in those two days and that’s why she’s world number six and former world number one. She’s a Major champion but sometimes, if it’s meant to be, it is, right? Nothing can stop you from winning. I think it’ll just be it.But at the same time, I feel like the way I handled my situation, coming down the stretch, I holed a few important putts, which she went on to miss after me. So, I had to put that pressure on her which I did.
Who is your favourite golfer?
Rory McIlroy. After the third hole, he was one of the people I thought about. It was pretty random. But I thought if he can win the Masters (in 2025) after having a terrible start, so can I (win the gold). That’s one way that got me motivated towards the round as well.
Are you thinking of going to Delhi during the DP World India championship and trying to meet McIlroy and have a moment with him if possible?
Absolutely. My partner (Karandeep Singh Kochhar) is also a golfer. So, he’s playing that event. I’m going to go watch him play anyway. I’ve asked my sources a little bit to get me to meet him (McIlroy). Hopefully that happens. And if that happens, I think I’m going to be more nervous meeting him than winning the gold.