How inspiration from her idol McIlroy steered Pranavi Urs to a historic Asian Games gold

Golfer Pranavi Urs during a procession in an open vehicle ahead of her felicitation for winning gold and silver medals in golf at the Asian games. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Inspiration from her favourite golfer. A crucial decision on the final hole. A little bit of well-earned luck. And just like that, Pranavi Urs clinched a historic first-ever gold in the women’s competition for India at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Heading into the final round, the 23-year-old Pranavi had a three-shot lead over Singapore’s Shannon Xuan Yin Tan with China’s Ruoning Yin in third, trailing by one more shot.

But the Indian didn’t have the start she would have hoped for on the last day. A devastating triple bogey for her on the third hole after World No. 6 Yin had scored a birdie on the second meant her advantage had vanished. At that moment, she thought of what her idol Rory McIlroy did at last year’s Augusta Masters.

McIlory, the modern-day legend from Northern Ireland, was going after the elusive Green Jacket to finally complete the Career Grand Slam, having won the other three Majors at least once by 2014. But he did not have the best of opening rounds - an even par 72 - and was tied 27th. From there, he made a sensational comeback to eventually beat Justin Rose in a play-off and complete the set.

READ | Pranavi Urs registers historic first-ever women’s golf gold in Asian Games, India bags silver in team event

“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 after having a terrible start, so can I (win the gold). That’s one way that got me motivated towards the round as well,” Pranavi said in a virtual interaction facilitated by SAI (Sports Authority of India) Media on Thursday.

Another significant moment for Pranavi came on the 18th hole. “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-iron,” she revealed.

As it turned out, the call was correct and the ball found the green, paving the way for two putts to finish with a par hole.

But she also needed a slice of fortune, which in some way, she had earned. To force a play-off for the gold, Yin had to score a birdie on the last hole. A dramatic lip out kept the Chinese golfer, a former World No. 1, from meeting her objective. It was, perhaps, also a consequence of the pressure Pranavi had put back on her with three birdies after that triple bogey early in the final round.

“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,” reflected the 23-year-old Indian, who also clinched a team silver with Olympian Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar.

For someone who had just become the first Indian female golfer to win gold in the history of the continental showpiece, Pranavi’s celebration was pretty non-existent.

Simply because she didn’t know she had won.

“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,” admitted Pranavi.

In the coming days, the golfer from Karnataka will have a chance for a potential meeting with her idol as McIlroy is set to feature in the DP World India Championship in New Delhi starting from October 15. And if that dream turns into reality, she jokes it could be even more nerve-wracking than what she managed to achieve at the Asiad.

“My partner 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,” said Pranavi.