Tokyo Deaflympics gold medallist Diksha Dagar (centre) with fellow podium finishers Margaux Brejo of France and Canada’s Erika Dawn Rivard. Image courtesy IGU.
By Rahul Banerji
Two significant feats were recorded by India’s women golfers this past week — Diksha Dagar retaining her Deaflympics gold medal at Tokyo and Pranavi Urs prevailing at an event that included men professionals.
Both women are incidentally regulars on the Ladies European Tour.
On Thursday, Diksha added a second walk to the top step of the podium at Tokyo’s Wakasu Golf Links to go with a similar trip four years ago in Paris that was preceded by a silver medal at Rio in 2017.
Interestingly, on the very same day, Pranavi emerged as the first woman golfer to win a mixed field event, and by a comfortable margin, at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.
At Tokyo, Diksha brought in a total of 11 under-par to top a competition that included entrants from 21 countries in the 25th edition of the Summer Deaflympics.
Diksha carded rounds of 68, 65 and 72 at the par-72 Wakasu course Golf Links in Tokyo to top the podium by a massive 14 strokes in the women’s individual strokeplay competition.
Solid score
Diksha, who had won gold at the 2021 Deaflympics and silver at the 2017 edition of the Games, posted a three-day total of 11 under 205.
Margaux Brejoo of France was second on 3 over 219 followed by Canada’s Erica Dawn Rivard at 5 over 221.
Diksha, 24, is the only hearing-impaired player in the world to have represented her country at both the Deaflympics and Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024).
“I am very happy to have won back-to-back gold medals at the Deaflympics. The competition is getting tougher every year,” Diksha told IGU Media on her achievement.
“I had to compete against girls from 20 different countries, and stuck to my plan – attacking the flags on par-5s and focusing on my short game and approach shots.
“I would like to thank the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Golf Union for supporting me, and my sponsors, the Ladies European Tour and Women’s Golf Association of India for providing me the exposure to deal with stiff competition.”
Proud moment
Said IGU president Brijinder Singh, “I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Diksha Dagar for her historic gold at the 25th Summer Deaflympic Games in Japan. It is a proud moment for the entire nation not just us.
“What Diksha has achieved is unprecedented, she is the only golfer on the planet to have played both the Olympics and Deaflympics. All the best to her for her future endeavours!”
In Mumbai, Pranavi got the better of overnight leader and good friend Karandeep Kochhar at the finish on the BPGC course to total 14 under 178 at the 54-hole event.
Pranavi closed with a stunning 8 under 60, the week’s best card on the par-68 track on the final day of the IGPL Invitational Mumbai to see off Kochhar (12 under 180) who closed with a 64 by two shots.
On beating the boys, Pranavi laughed, “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.
Ladies European Tour and Hero WPGT regular Pranavi Urs was too good for the field at a mixed event in Mumbai this week. Image courtesy IGP>
Good yardstick
“As for beating the boys, this is a great format and platform and it is great to be able to play with the boys and see where your game is at with them.
“And as I also mentioned earlier, the girls are doing a lot better than the boys internationally. So I think getting that experience back home is, you know, is an advantage for me.”
Asian Tour player Kochhar was all praise for Pranavi, “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 realised I would have to play out of my skin to get the better of her.
“To lead by one, shoot a 4-under on the final day, and yet lose by two shots, there’s no shame in that. You simply just have to tip your hat sometimes and Pranavi was just amazing out there.”
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