Visakhapatnam, Feb 15 (IANS): Pranavi Urs has begun each of the last four seasons on a strong note. The 19-year-old Mysore golfer, who turned pro only in 2020, has now won five times, twice as an amateur and three times as a professional.

Having done that once again with a win in the season-opener of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour last week, she is now all set to take that momentum into the second event at the East Point Golf Club here. The prize purse for the second straight week will be Rs 10 lakh.

While Pranavi, then still an amateur, won for the first time on the WPGT in the middle of the season in 2018, she finished runner-up in the season's first event in each of the three years 2019, 2020 and 2021. She broke that jinx in 2022 as she began with a win. Interestingly, Pranavi won the second event of the season in both 2020 and 2021.

Having recovered from a wrist injury that forced her to take a back seat after the initial two events last year, Pranavi feels more confident.

"I am no longer apprehensive about the wrist," she said last week after the win in a play-off against Gaurika Bishnoi. Pranavi, who tried and failed to secure a Ladies' European Tour card at the Qualifying School late last year, now wants to consolidate her game and form before making another attempt.

"However, I will try and play a few LET Access Series and hopefully some LET events in Europe later this year," she said.

Pranavi has been paired with Gaurika Bishnoi and Agrima Manral in the first round and they tee off from the first tee as 30 players, including four amateurs, will compete in the event.

Among the challengers for Pranavi are Gaurika Bishnoi, who she beat in the play-off last week, Jahanvi Bakshi, Hitaashee Bakshi, Khushi Khanijau, Lakhmehar Pardesi, amateur Sneha Singh, Ridhima Dilawari and Seher Atwal.