Pranavi Urs triumphed over overnight leader Karandeep Kochhar, showcasing an exceptional performance at a crucial moment and making history by clinching the IGPL Mumbai Invitation title. This victory marks her as the first Indian woman golfer to win a professional golf tournament while competing alongside men on the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Tour. Pranavi delivered an impressive 8-under 60, the best score of the week, at the par-68 Bombay Presidency Golf Club during the final day of the IGPL Invitational Mumbai.
In her IGPL debut, Pranavi, who was two shots behind her boyfriend Kochhar overnight, displayed solid and efficient golf with a total of eight birdies, concluding with an impressive 14-under for the week, compared to Kochhar’s 64 and his second eagle of the day, finishing at 12-under. Kochhar commended Pranavi’s performance, saying, “I had this feeling that she would win as she was playing so well.
She outplayed us all, and even early in the round I realized I would have to play out of my skin to get the better of her.” Reflecting on her victory against the male competitors, Pranavi expressed, “I can’t describe the feeling, but right now I feel like I’m still numb and I still haven’t soaked it in that I’ve actually won. This format is fantastic, and it’s wonderful to compete with the boys and gauge my game against them. As I mentioned earlier, the girls are performing significantly better than the boys internationally.
So, I believe gaining that experience back home is an advantage for me.” Kochhar shared insights about his own game, stating, “I think I played really well today. I had really good putts, but they just didn’t go in. I had good opportunities, even towards the end, like on the 15th and 17th holes. It just wasn’t my day putting-wise. However, I believe Pranavi simply outplayed all of us, not just me.” He added, “Leading by one and shooting a 4-under on the final day, yet losing by 2 shots, is nothing to be ashamed of.
Sometimes, you just have to tip your hat, and Pranavi was outstanding today.” Sachin Baisoya, still in pursuit of his first IGPL title, finished third once more, marking the fourth time he has placed third in seven IGPL tournaments.