New Delhi, Bolstered by her maiden Asian Games gold, India’s Pranavi Urs is now targeting an Olympic medal and a Major, saying success in the events leading up to June 2027 will be crucial to make the cut for the Los Angeles Games.
The 23-year-old from Mysuru recently became the first Indian woman golfer to win gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan.
“Olympics maybe or a Major,” Pranavi said when asked what she is chasing next during an interaction facilitated by SAI Media.
“My preparation is not gonna change, I am going to play in LET, just keep doing what I am doing, the cut off date is June 2028, I will be playing as many event as possible till and may be get a win from there.”
The qualification period for women’s golf at the LA28 Olympic Games officially began on June 8 this year and will conclude on June 5, 2028, with the final 60-player field to be determined by the OGR standings at the time of the deadline.
Pranavi achieved the feat after carding a 15-under 265 at the Kasugai Country Club East Course last Saturday. Her fine run also carried the Indian women’s team comprising Aditi Ashok, and Diksha Dagar to the podium as it bagged a silver medal.
“I think it’s slowly sinking in. It hasn’t sunk in yet fully. Because, I mean, I’m still getting a lot of these messages and calls and a lot of interviews and stuff, which is very unusual for me. It’s a little overwhelming, but yeah, it’s great to be the first one to do it,” she said.
Pranavi said her experience of competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago helped her handle the pressure better in Japan.
“I think I kind of knew what to expect this time and how it really works. And being in a team event as well, I knew what I was stepping into,” she said.
The Indian had to recover from a triple bogey early in the final round but stayed composed to clinch the gold.
“I’ve been working with my psychologist for years now. And I think that’s the end of the day. That’s the goal, right? To kind of keep calm when you’re nervous and, you know, to kind of stick to your game plan,” she said.
“Just not think about anything else and just kind of focusing on what you need to do and what’s in your control more than the outcome,” she added.
Pranavi, who did not even realise that her final putt had secured gold, said she was too zoned in to follow the situation around her.
“I thought it was like make par and then get out of the golf course and maybe force playoff. Little did I know that the last putt that I hit was putt to win,” she said.
She also drew inspiration from her idol Rory McIlroy after the triple bogey.
“If he can win the Masters after having a terrible start, so can I. So, yeah, that’s one way that got me motivated towards the round as well,” she said.
Pranavi will next compete at the Hero Women’s Indian Open from October 22 to 25 at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram and has three more LET events lined up, besides a possible appearance in a Ladies Professional Golf Association event.
“I’m going to be playing a lot of events. And I’m going to be playing on LET. So, I think just kind of keep doing what I’m doing,” she said.
She will next be seen at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, to be held from October 22 to 25 at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. Before that, she wishes to meet her idol Rory McIlroy when the Irishman comes to Delhi for the DP World India Championship.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.