Pranavi Urs, the top-ranked Indian golfer, is gearing up to participate in the Trust Golf Singapore Ladies Masters, marking her fourth continent in just over six months of 2023. Alongside her, two other Indian players, amateur Avani Prashanth and Seher Atwal, will be competing in the field of 129 players, consisting of 111 professionals and 18 amateurs.
Pranavi has been showcasing her talent on a global scale this season. After dominating the Women’s Pro Golf Tour of India in 2022, she participated in Ladies European Tour events in South Africa at the beginning of 2023. Following that, she traveled to the United States for the Epson Tour, just one level below the LPGA. Pranavi then headed to Europe to compete in a few more events on the LET before making her way to Singapore to partake in the first-ever Chinese LPGA event held outside of China.
For Pranavi, this season has been filled with tremendous learning opportunities. She expressed her excitement for the Singapore Ladies Masters, acknowledging the humid weather but noting that she had played in similar conditions before. After a practice round on Tuesday, Pranavi focused on honing her skills on the range and greens.
Later this year, Pranavi will also be participating in the Asian Games in China, adding another notable event to her already impressive schedule. Joining her in Singapore this week is amateur Avani Prashanth, who received a special invitation from Lyn Yeo, the event’s promoter and organizer of US Kids Golf Singapore. Avani holds the highest ranking among amateurs in the field at 77th place, while Singapore’s Shannon Tan follows closely behind at 81st. Avani will also compete in the Asian Games.
Seher Atwal, the winner of the first event on the domestic Hero WPGT in India, is the third Indian player in the field. Seher has also been balancing her time between the Indian Tour and the LET, emphasizing the importance of playing golf wherever opportunities arise.
The Singapore Ladies Masters boasts a diverse lineup of players from 14 countries. Kevin Kwee, the Executive Director of the Laguna National Golf Resort Club, emphasized the tournament’s commitment to promoting golf in the region. Notably, this year has seen the inclusion of a DP World (European) Tour event and a Ladies European Tour, in addition to hosting the first of six US Kids Golf Tour events. Kwee hopes to provide opportunities for players from countries like China, India, Korea, Thailand, and more, recognizing their abundant talent.
With the China LPGA returning to 18 events this season after experiencing a drop due to the pandemic, it has become a promising avenue for professional players seeking World Ranking Points. In the past, Indian golfers Sharmila Nicollet and Ridhima Dilawari achieved status in China.
The competition in Singapore will begin with Avani teeing off alongside New Zealand’s Wanchana Poruangrong and Munchin Keh at 7:50 am. Seher Atwal will follow, starting her round with Liu Peng Shan from Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong’s Huang Zhiying at 9:15 am. Pranavi, on the other hand, will play with Liang Yi-Lin and Li Fang, starting at 12:55 pm.
Notable players in the field include Thailand’s Order of Merit leader Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, China’s Shi Yuli and Sui Xiang, Malaysia’s Genevieve Ling, and Korea’s Jiwoo Park.
The top 60 professional players (including ties) from the first two rounds will advance to the final round on Saturday.
