Indian golfer Pranavi Urs believes her work with a sports psychologist played a crucial role in helping her win the Asian Games women’s individual golf gold medal.
The 23-year-old faced intense pressure heading into the final round at Kasugai Country Club East Course. She had struggled to sleep the night before and saw her three-shot overnight lead disappear after a triple-bogey 7 on the third hole.
The mistake gave China’s world No. 6 Yin Ruoning the advantage, but Pranavi was able to stay focused and recover.
Sports Psychologist Prepares Her for Every Scenario
Pranavi said she had a session with her sports psychologist before the final round, where they prepared for different situations that could arise during the competition.
The focus was on accepting the pressure, staying mentally prepared and enjoying the experience on the golf course.
That preparation became particularly valuable after her difficult start.
Pranavi viewed the triple-bogey as the lowest point of her round and reminded herself that the only way forward was to stick to her game plan.
Pranavi Turns the Match Around
The mental preparation helped Pranavi regain control of the contest.
She caught Yin with a birdie on the 10th hole and moved ahead with another birdie on the 13th. From there, she held on to the lead and secured the biggest title of her career.
Pranavi said she always enters tournaments with the goal of winning rather than simply participating, but admitted that actually achieving the result was a surreal experience.
A Major Breakthrough in Her Career
The Asian Games gold is particularly significant for Pranavi, who is in her third season on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Although she has challenged for titles several times, she had not yet managed to take the final step and win a major tournament.
Her victory in Japan now provides a major boost to her confidence and belief in her ability to compete against the best players in women’s golf.
No Focus on Past Asian Games Disappointments
Pranavi also avoided discussing the previous Asian Games experiences of her teammates Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar during the competition.
Aditi had held a seven-shot lead heading into the final round of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, but eventually finished with the silver medal after shooting a 5-over 77.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Aditi was also in medal contention going into the final round before finishing just outside the podium.
Pranavi said she deliberately did not ask Aditi for advice about those experiences. Instead, the teammates focused on their friendship and spoke about other topics during their time together.
India Women Win Team Silver
While Pranavi secured the individual gold, India’s women’s golf team also earned a silver medal behind China.
Aditi finished 14th at two over, while Diksha ended the competition tied for 23rd at 12 over.
Despite their individual results, India’s overall performance added another medal to the country’s Asian Games campaign.
Gold Medal Boosts Pranavi’s Confidence
Pranavi believes the Asian Games victory has given her greater confidence and put her in a stronger mental space.
She said the next major target is to win on the Ladies European Tour.
Her victory also came against a strong field. Yin Ruoning, who finished behind her, is ranked among the world’s top players, while bronze medallist Shannon Xuan Yin Tan of Singapore won the 2025 LET Order of Merit.
Pranavi Targets LET Success
Pranavi said beating such high-level competition has confirmed that her game is capable of winning major events.
She now heads into the next stage of her career with greater clarity and confidence.
Her next major appearance will be the Women’s India Open at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon later this month, where she will look to build on her Asian Games triumph and take another step towards her first LET title.