Mumbai: Avani Prashanth, among India’s most promising young golfers, sat down with her coach after the LPGA qualifying series in the USA, where things slid drastically despite her coming in feeling upbeat about her game.
“My coach said your attitude as a whole changes when a big event comes along, and not in a productive way. I need you to change that,” Avani said.
Change she did, and it showed in another high stakes qualifying event a few months down the line. The 18-year-old from Bengaluru earned the Ladies European Tour (LET) card for the 2025 season with a tied-16 finish in the Final Qualifier at Lalla Aicha Q-School in Marrakesh, Morocco last month.
It was a significant tick on the checklist of India’s highest ranked amateur woman golfer in the last decade who turned professional in 2024. It also came as a “bit of a relief” for Avani after the disappointment at the LPGA qualifying and an under-par 2024 season following the highs of 2023.
The LPGA miss — and her coach’s words — compelled the teen to have sessions with her psychologist and carry a fresh approach to Marrakesh.
“Better late than never, I got it into my head that I can’t be treating tournaments like it’s the end of the world,” Avani told HT from Bengaluru.
“I tried to get it out of my head that it was Q-School and treated it like a normal tournament. When I played the LPGA Q-School, it did end up getting to me and I put too much pressure on myself. This time I was a lot more relaxed. I kept thinking I just have to make my card; doesn’t matter where I finish in the top 20 (top 20 at the end of the 5-round tournament get their card). I also kept telling myself that it’s a marathon, so even if a couple of holes didn’t go my way, I didn’t stress about it.”
That self-talk on the course is a lot more balanced now.
“When I would hit a bad shot, the first thing that would come out of my mouth is, “How bad can someone be at this sport?” Then I would make a bogey and say, “Wow, you’re an absolute champion of a golfer”,” Avani said. “All of that is gone now.”
Avani believes the past year has made her twice the golfer she was, despite her 2023 deeds. That year, the career-high 39th-ranked amateur became the first Indian to win the Queen Sirikit Cup and on the second rung LET Access Series (Ahlsell Final in Sweden). India’s youngest golfer at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, she also finished T-4 at the World Amateur Team Championship. She turned pro in October.
“Coming off 2023, I thought 2024 would be as good, if not better. But it didn’t go that way. The main thing I’ve learnt is to deal with failure a lot better, and become more accepting of the fact that I can make mistakes.”
Turning pro made her “a lot more excited” about making golf her 9 to 5 job, and also pushed her towards becoming “a lot more mature” on the course.
That her newfound maturity has come at 18 underlines the quick learner in Avani, and how much room there is to build on this mindset shift. It is what makes Avani look forward to playing on the LET tour this year even more, where she will play alongside compatriots Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs.
“I’m extremely excited, especially for the Majors and the big events. It’ll be real good fun,” Avani said. “Playing a full season on LET was on my checklist. My goal is to win on the LET and finish in the top 10 of the Order Of Merit. Hopefully, I start playing the LPGA tour from 2026.”
