Aichi-Nagoya, Oct. 3 -- Pranavi Urs has always seemed to enjoy breaking barriers. A year ago, she made history in the Indian Golf Premier League by becoming the first woman to win an IGPL title in a mixed professional field. On Saturday, the 23-year-old from Mysuru broke another, far bigger barrier, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual golf gold medal at the Asian Games.

The similarities were not lost on Pranavi. The IGPL triumph had given her the experience of competing and winning against a strong field that included men, while the Asian Games demanded something altogether different: four days of golf under the weight of national expectations, with an Asian Games medal at stake on every shot.

She responded to both chal...