Avani Prashanth, a teenage sensation, has always dreamed of competing shoulders with the greatest in the business and at the biggest sporting spectacle since golf returned to the Olympic fold. 

 

 

 

Avani Prashanth

 

 

 

With a string of outstanding performances over the past couple of years, the 16-year-old golf prodigy has made quick progress in her quest to get there. The Bengalurian, who was selected for the Indian team for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September and October, has chosen to give up her amateur status and turn pro this year on the Ladies European Tour (LET), with the Paris Olympics starting in a little over a year. 

 

 

 

Avani believes she is prepared to enter professional competition after dominating the domestic amateur circuit and taking home the Queen Sirikit Cup in Manila earlier this year, becoming the first Indian to do so in the event's 43-year history.

 

 

I have wanted to compete at the Olympics since I was pretty young. Now that I am on the Asian Games team, the Olympics looks a lot more realistic, and I see the only way to get there is for me to turn pro and get the World rankings up," the teenager told the media before leaving for Amundi German Masters, an event on the Ladies European Tour beginning on Thursday. "I should be able to make it if I just play the way I'm playing now," added the youngster who got an invite into the 300,000-euro pro tournament in Berlin.

 

 

Avani was granted a waiver after her strong performances in two of the three events she has played so far, despite the LET's rule that participants may only compete at the QSchool after turning 18 years old. In October of last year, she tied for 12th at the Indian Open, and in February of this year, she tied for ninth at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.

 

The LET requested letters of recommendation from Avani's coach, Laurence Brotheridge, the director of the IGU tournament, Paramjit Singh, and a LET player, Tvesa Malik, in addition to an application for an underage petition from Avani's father, Prashanth, stating why he believed his daughter was prepared.

 

 

"The LET Director of Operations approved Avani's underage petition request a little more over two weeks ago. She had to write a 500-word essay in addition to the recommendation letters, according to Prashanth.

 

 

Avani, who could outhit most LPGA professionals, admitted that her performance at the Indian Open and the Kenya tournament gave her confidence that she could compete against the professionals. Because I participated in three LET events and did well in them, I would say that I am prepared, Avani stated.

 

 

The youngster believes that one area that needs improvement is her putting. She is currently concentrating on the Amundi Masters. "My short game has gotten better after playing a few rounds here (at the KGA). I just need to tweak a few things and I should be good to go," she added.

 

 

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