Pranavi signals return to fitness, ends 13-month title drought with win in play-off in WPGT

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 11 : Mysore's 18-year-old Pranavi Urs ended a 13-month title drought and signalled a full and healthy return from her wrist injury as she claimed the first leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour here at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Gaurika Bishnoi, who had held the lead for the first two days.
Amateur Sneha Singh (70) was sole third at 2-under 214, while Jahanvi Bakshi (69) rose to fourth at 1-under 215. Durga Nittur (69), who had the day's best round along with Jahanvi Bakshi, was fifth at 2-over 218.
Pranavi, who was nine shots behind Gaurika after the first round, had cut that lead to three after the second round. In the final round, flying on the wings of a superb eagle on Par-5 seventh, the long-hitting Pranavi, totalled one-under 71 despite a closing bogey on 18th in regulation play.
Starting day three behind Gaurika, the overnight leader, both players bogeyed the first. Gaurika increased her lead to four with a birdie on the second hole, but Pranavi got it back to three with a birdie on the third. The eagle from Pranavi on Par-5 seventh narrowed it to one before Gaurika dropped two shots in succession on eighth and ninth. That handed over the lead to Pranavi for the first time.
On the back nine, it was Pranavi's turn to drop shots and she did so on 10th and 13th as the lead went back to Gaurika. A crucial two-shot swing took place on the 14th as Gaurika bogeyed and Pranavi birdied. Another birdie on the 15th put Pranavi two clear. The two players parred the par-3 16th.
Coming to the 17th tee, Pranavi was two ahead, but Gaurika holed a nearly 20-foot putt for birdie to cut the lead to one. On the 18th, Pranavi, probably nervous, three-putted from 20-25 feet to drop a shot and fall into a tie at 5-under 211. Pranavi made amends in the play-off with a birdie, while Gaurika managed only a par.
"I have been driving and hitting well this whole week. I am not tense anymore about my wrist and the game was good overall. It was a great battle as the lead changed hands a few times. Maybe the eagle gave me an edge, but Gaurika played well. She birdied 17th and I three-putted 18th and we went into a play-off. That's how close it was."
It was the fifth win on WPGT Tour for Pranavi, who has been playing alongside the pros even while being an amateur. Her first two wins on the Tour came as an amateur in 2018 and in 2020. She turned pro the week after her second win as an amateur and immediately won her first start as a pro. In 2021 she won the second leg and was then injured and did not perform up to her expectations. Now fully fit, she is off to a fine start on the domestic tour.
"I also hope to go to Europe and try for a few starts on LET Access and LET. That will hopefully help me get into the LET," said Pranavi, who finished school this year and then plans to focus even more on professional golf.
For Gaurika it was a disappointment after holding the lead for the first two days. Nayanika Sanga (73) and Hitaashee Bakshi (75) were tied sixth, while Jasmine Shekar (73) was eighth. Ridhima Dilawari (74), unable to break par on any of the three days, was ninth, while Neha Tripathi (71) and Seher Atwal (73) were tied for tenth.
With the opening win, Pranavi took an early lead in the Order of Merit with Rupees One lakh thirty thousand. The next event, the second leg of the WPG Tour will be held at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam from Feb 16 to 18.