Rory McIlroy Praises Pranavi Urs for Historic Asian Games Gold

New Delhi, October 14 (Daily Kiran) : Irish golf star Rory McIlroy recently lauded young Indian golfer Pranavi Urs for her outstanding performance at the Asian Games. Despite facing a triple bogey early in her round, Pranavi demonstrated remarkable determination and spirit, ultimately securing the gold medal.

Pranavi made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in golf at the Asian Games. She maintained her composure even after losing a three-shot lead, clinching the individual title for women.

Before the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, Pranavi met McIlroy. The 37-year-old superstar expressed his admiration, stating, “Winning at the Asian Games is a fantastic achievement. Her resilience and strong will after the initial triple bogey are commendable. It was a pleasure to meet her. She’s a wonderful young woman. Although she mentioned feeling nervous, she certainly didn’t appear that way.”

As she prepares for the upcoming Women’s Indian Open at DLF next week, Pranavi took time to walk a few holes with McIlroy. She shared her excitement, saying, “It was great to spend time with him. Obviously, this is a remarkable achievement. He mentioned that he has to practice for the Women’s Indian Open next week, and I believe his partner is also competing in this tournament. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to meet him.”

Reflecting on her gold medal victory, Pranavi recalled the third hole of the final round, where she encountered a triple bogey that cost her the lead. She found inspiration in McIlroy’s journey, who overcame early challenges to win the Masters in 2025.

According to Olympic.com, she remarked, “I remembered what Rory did when he first won the Masters. He started with a triple bogey—I think it was a double or triple bogey. I thought if he could win the Masters, I could win the Asian Games too. That mindset helped me get back on track.”

Pranavi’s victory ended India’s 24-year wait for a gold medal in golf at the Asian Games, with the last being Shiv Kapur’s individual title in Busan in 2002. Prior to her gold, the only medal for India in the women’s individual event at this year’s Games was Aditi Ashok’s silver in Hangzhou 2023, where Pranavi finished fourth. This gold also marked India’s fourth in golf at the Asian Games, with the first title won by Lakshman Singh in New Delhi in 1982, alongside teammates Rishi Narayan, Amit Luthra, and Rajeev Mohota in the men’s team event.