Pranavi’s win against men at IGPL Mumbai wows Indian golf fraternity

MUMBAI: Pranavi Urs’s sensational final round of 8-under in the final round of the IGPL Invitational Mumbai at the Bombay President Golf Club has elevated her to superstar status in Indian golf, as she became the first Indian woman golfer ever to win a title while playing against men in a mixed field, according to a release from IGPL.

One of the dozen women in the field, Pranavi, playing her first IGPL event, started the final day two shots behind the leader, Karandeep Kochhar, her boyfriend, and went on to outplay the field by two shots despite an eagle finish by Kochhar.

Standing next to the green and watching the proceedings, former Asian Tour player and multiple winner on the Indian Tour, the CEO of IGPL, Uttam Singh Mundy remarked, “That was a sensational round by any standard. She was so confident and dominated the round from around the turn and left no doubt in the minds of all who were watching who was the best this week,” as quoted from a release by IGPL.

“From the time the IGPL was conceptualised, we had often discussed the possibility of a woman pro beating the best men players in India. A few weeks ago, we had Hitaashee Bakshi shoot 8-under in Pune IGPL and grab a Top-10 finish. But this Pranavi, who held a share of the lead after the first round, went all the way to the top by the finish. This achievement is one for the record books, and the IGPL is proud to be part of this phenomenal achievement.”

The former Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour of India’s Order of Merit winner, Pranavi, picked up Rs. 22,50,000 for her win, as Kochhar was second and received Rs. 15,00,000.

Karandeep Kochhar added, “She is going to take me out for dinner, but I would be delighted to pick up the tab. She was fantastic, and it was a treat to watch her play the final round. I would have had to play out of my skin to have a chance against her today, but she gave us no chance with a bogey-free eight-under round.”

Champika Sayal, Secretary-General of the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), who are the partners of the IGPL Tour, said, “Pranavi Urs becoming the first-ever female winner at IGPL Mumbai at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club is a testament of exceptional skill, experience and dedication. Breaking barriers and making history is no easy feat.”

“Pranavi’s win at IGPL is an inspiration for many young players, and at WGAI, we are extremely proud and overwhelmed by the performances of our female golfers.”

She added, “Women golfers vying for equal pay cheques in the game have been recognised and rewarded by the Indian Golf Premier League format.”

“This historic initiative by promoters of the Indian Golf Premier League needs to be lauded. A big shoutout to IGPL for promoting equality and inclusivity in golf!” added Ms Champika Sanyal

Indian legend SSP Chawrasia, a six-time winner on the Asian Tour and four-time champion in DP World Tour events, had finished his final round a little earlier but came back from the player’s lounge to see Pranavi finish. He commented, “This is an amazing display. Her skill and confidence were fantastic. I will not be surprised if she soon wins on the Ladies European Tour, where she has been close to a win a few times.”

Olympian Udayan Mane, who led his team to a fine win in the IGPL Mumbai Pro-Am, said, “On this day no one could have beaten her. Her win is proof that we have huge talent in India.”

This was the seventh event of the IGPL Tour, which is in its first year.

After seven events in Chandigarh, Jaypee Greens, Pune, Jaipur, Kolkata and Jamshedpur, the tour came to Mumbai.

It will now travel to Ahmedabad for two events, including the Bharath Classic Golf, a half-a-million-dollar event co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour.
The final two events will be in Dubai and Colombo and will be followed by the IGPL league. (ANI)