India’s Pranavi Urs survived a triple bogey on the third hole and then fended off the fierce challenge of Singapore’s Shannon Tan and China’s Rouning Yin to capture the gold medal in the Asian Games women’s golf tournament on Saturday in Nagoya, Japan.
The 24-year-old sank a 3-foot knee-knocker for par on the final hole to win her country’s first medal in the event and also announced India’s arrival as a regional women’s golf powerhouse.
India, which came in unheralded despite two players playing as pros on the European Tour, also won the silver in the team competition. Helping the team achieve the feat was Aditi Ashok who plays in both the LPGA and European Tour. She finished tied for 14th.
But it was in the individual contest where India showed its mettle with Urs turning back Tan and Yin, both professionals, who had birdie putts on the final hole that could have forced a playoff.
Urs recovered with three birdies from the fourth hole and shot an even par 70 and finished at 15 under for the tournament to win by one stroke.
Yin narrowly missed her birdie putt from 25 feet, the ball hitting inside right of the hole but was a bit strong to fall in. Tan, on the other hand, saved par from five feet.
Both ended up tied at 14 under. During the first playoff hole for silver, Yin one-putted for par from about 8 feet after missing her approach. But Tan, also seeking her country’s golf medal, three-putted from 25 feet, her five-footer rolling wide right.
China won the team golf with a total of 538, India second at 546 and Taiwan third at 550.
The Philippines placed eighth at 556.
Rianne Malixi ended her Asian Games campaign on a bright note on Saturday, firing a 3-under-par 67 to tie for fifth in the women’s individual competition, but well behind the leaders in Nagoya, Japan.
Malixi, one of the world’s best amateurs, battled many professionals in the event, but could make not make much headway finishing at 274, 6 under par for the tournament.
Her partner, Bianca Pagdanganan shot a 1-over-par 71 and settled for a tie for 15th place at 283, 3 over. Pauline del Rosario, the third member of the team, was cut after the third round.
In the team competition, the Philippines placed 8th, also well behind the Asia’s golf powerhouses.
The Philippines started the tournament with a promise as it battled its rivals toe-to-toe in the early stages only to slowly drift away in the last two rounds as consistency eluded the players.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
