Consistent Urs Eyes Slice of Indian Golf History

Kasugai, Aichi, Japan: Pranavi Urs is on course to create history for Indian golf after streaking into a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the women’s tournament at the 20th Asian Games.

Two shots off the pace in second place at the half-way stage, Urs surged to the top of the individual leaderboard courtesy of a four-under-par 66 on day three at the Kasugai Country Club’s East Course in Aichi Prefecture.

With a 54-hole aggregate of 15-under-par 195, Urs is in pole position to become the first Indian female to win an Asiad golfing gold medal.

Still seeking her maiden win on the Ladies European Tour (LET), the 23-year-old from Mysore has been a model of consistency this week with just two bogeys to date.

Nonetheless, Urs is refusing to get carried away. Assessing her third-round performance, she said: “Overall, it was pretty solid from tee to green. I didn’t hit a lot of bad shots, but I just didn’t hole many putts. Wish I could hole more putts. Hopefully I’m saving them for tomorrow.”

Urs knows she’s likely to require a fourth successive sub-par return if she’s to keep her two closest pursuers at bay – reigning LET Order of Merit champion Shannon Tan of Singapore and China’s world number six Yin Ruoning.

Tan, who raced clear of the field with rounds of 63 and 64 on Wednesday and Thursday, stumbled to a one-over 71 to lose top spot to Urs.

One shot further back on 11-under 199 is Yin, who posted her second successive 66.

There is then a five-stroke gap back to Hong Kong China amateur Sophie Han in fourth place with Korean Yang Yun-seo, this year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion, in fifth on 205.

Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, winner of the individual gold at the last Asiad in Hangzhou in 2023, is joint sixth on 207, while former world number one Tseng Ya-ni of Chinese Taipei has climbed into a share of ninth spot on 208.

In the team event in which the best two daily scores in each three-strong team are counted, the China trio of Yin, Liu Yan and and Zhang Weiwei extended their one-stroke overnight lead to four.

India are second on 409 followed by Hong Kong China (411), Chinese Taipei (414), Singapore (415), Thailand (416), Philippines (418), Korea (420) and Japan (426).

Yin said: “This is my third Asian Games. I got bronze medals in the last two (in the team event) and I really want to get the gold medal with my team this time. Although I have the most experience on our team the other two players also play on the LPGA Tour. They also have experience playing in tough situations, so I believe in my team.”

Yin is also well placed to win her first Asian Games individual medal. She said: “Overall, I’m happy about where I am right now. I think the course was much tougher than the previous two days because the greens are getting firmer and then the wind picked up a little bit.”

Tan is also remaining positive about her prospects of delivering a first golfing medal for Singapore.

She said: “I had my ‘B’ game today. I wasn’t making any putts. I missed a lot of chances, nothing dropped. It was one of those days. For tomorrow, I just have to control what I can control. I can’t control what everyone else does.”

Full Women’s Individual Scores

195 – Pranavi Urs (India) 66-63-66
198 – Shannon Tan (Singapore) 63-64-71
199 – Yin Ruoning (China) 67-66-66
204 – Sophie Han (Hong Kong China) 70-67-67
205 – Yang Yun-seo (Korea) 68-65-72
207 – Arpichaya Yubol (Thailand) 67-74-66; Virginie Ding (Hong Kong China) 70-67-70; Rianne Malixi (Philippines) 70-66-71
208 – Tseng Ya-ni (Chinese Taipei) 71-69-68; Liu Yan (China) 71-66-71
209 – Hsu Wei-ling (Chinese Taipei) 67-70-72
210 – Chien Pei-yun (Chinese Taipei) 69-69-72; Zhang Weiwei (China) 69-69-72
211 – Arianna Lau (Hong Kong China) 70-70-71
212 – Bianca Pagdanganan (Philippines) 67-74-71; Aira Nagasawa (Japan) 69-71-72
213 – Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (Thailand) 69-70-74
215 – Aditi Ashok (India) 71-74-70; Diksha Dagar (India) 71-73-71
216 – Ai Goto (Japan) 72-72-72
217 – Mamika Shinchi (Japan) 71-71-75
218 – Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (Thailand) 74-70-74; Park Seo-jin (Korea) 71-73-74
219 – Elaine Widjaja (Indonesia) 73-73-73; Kim Gyu-been (Korea) 68-73-78
220 – Amanda Tan (Singapore) 72-73-75; Chen Xingtong (Singapore) 69-73-78

Full Women’s Team Scores

405 – China (136-132-137)
409 – India (137-136-136)
411 – Hong Kong China (140-134-137)
414 – Chinese Taipei (136-138-140)
415 – Singapore (132-137-146)
416 – Thailand (136-140-140)
418 – Philippines (137-139-142)
420 – Korea (136-138-146)
426 – Japan (141-141-144)