Pranavi Urs etched her name into Indian sporting history by becoming the country’s first-ever individual Asian Games golf gold medallist.
Pranavi Urs made history after becoming the first individual golfer to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. She maintained a slim one-stroke lead in the final round, which helped the nation secure a silver in the team event.
The Indian golfer won India’s first gold medal, ending a 24-year wait. The last time the individual top honours were secured was by Shiv Kapur in the men’s golf event.
Pranavi overcame an early setback after a triple bogey on the third hole erased her overnight lead, showing tremendous resilience by carding three birdies on her way to a historic achievement.
Who is Pranavi Urs?
Born in 1998, Pranavi began playing golf at the tender age of five. She made history after becoming the first Indian woman to win the Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
Pranavi turned professional in 2016 and went on to become one of the nation’s most promising golfers. She also represented India in three Olympic Games — Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. The 23-year-old from Mysore missed out on a medal finish in 2020 after finishing fourth in the women’s individual event.
More from SportsHistory made by Pranavi in Asian Games
Pranavi clinched a final round score of even-par 70, ending the match with a total of 15-under 265 for four days, a stroke ahead of her competition.
China’s Yin Ruoning earned the silver medal, while Singapore’s Shannon Tan emerged with bronze after a playoff, with the pair locked on 266 in a dramatic battle for the remaining podium spots.
“I like being the first to do things. People will come along to do more, but the first will always be the first,” Pranavi said after the historic triumph.
In the team event, birdies on the sixth, 10th and 13th holes in the final round played a pivotal role in helping India, represented by Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, clinch the silver medal.