Remember the 2021 Tokyo Olympics golf competition? How did almost an entire country wake up early to cheer on from afar as Aditi Ashok began as a strong medal contender? India, keen to collect as many medals, hopefully of the glistening variety, at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, can once again switch on to the golf feed on Saturday.
Young Pranavi Urs, who has been a picture of consistency, took a 3-shot lead into the final day of the women’s individual golf competition at the Games. On the Kasugai Country Club East Course, the 23-year-old golfer who hails from Mysore produced another brilliant round, carding 4-under 66.
Pranavi, who plays on the Ladies European Tour and has spoken about how her game has really evolved amid top players and tough conditions, was unflinching in her play despite the heat on Friday.
Having carded 4-under 66 in the first round, her brilliant, bogey-free 7-under 63 on Friday has kept her second, behind Singapore’s Shannon Tan. Pranavi moved into a solid three-shot lead on Friday after going 3-under on the front nine.
Shannon, in the leaders’ group with Pranavi, struggled to find the right spots on the green and a one-over 71 kept her three shots back at second. The Singapore player is the winner of the 2025 Hero Women’s Indian Open and will be in India later this month to defend the title at the LET event.
{{/usCountry}}Shannon, in the leaders’ group with Pranavi, struggled to find the right spots on the green and a one-over 71 kept her three shots back at second. The Singapore player is the winner of the 2025 Hero Women’s Indian Open and will be in India later this month to defend the title at the LET event.
{{/usCountry}}Pranavi went to 15-under par after a birdie on the par-5 13th, but dropped a shot on the 14th after missing a short putt. It was the Indian’s first bogey, after 48 holes, having started the tournament with a bogey before going on a brilliant run. However, she signed off the day with a bridie, after a fine approach from the cart path left of the fairway on the par-4 18th.
Her 14-under 192 will be followed by Shannon Tan (12-under 194), with China’s Yin Ruoning (11-under 195) also very much in the hunt for the gold medal.
Indian fans will be eager to sort out some unfinished business on the golf course in Japan. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Aditi finished a heartbreaking fourth after being in medal contention into the final holes. Aditi, who plays on the LPGA, has not had a good tournament so far.
She was T18 with Diksha Dagar, with both on a tournament aggregate of 5-over 215. Aditi shot an even-par 70 after rounds of one-over 71 and 4-over 74. Diksha carded a one-over 71, after scores of 71 and 73.
Indian women were lying second in the team competition, the 11-under 409 aggregate putting them four shots behind China (15-under 405). Hong Kong, China are third (9-under 411).
Men struggle
India’s men continued to find it difficult. Veer Ahlawat was tied 10th, and Saptak Talwar was T11, while Yuvraj Sandhu was T23. India were lying sixth in the team competition, seven shots off third placed China.