Gritty Aditi holds on to 2nd place before final day

TOKYO: Another round of golf stands between history and Aditi Ashok. And if a tropical storm rules out play at the weekend, history would have already happened with Ashok sealing a silver for India based on her stunning performance over the past three days.

Going into the final day—teeoff times have been brought forward because of the impending storm to ensure a full round which can also be completed on Sunday—Ashok is 12-under 201, three adrift of leader Nelly Korda, the world’s No.1 woman golfer. Not bad for someone who said she is still not at her fittest because of Covid earlier in the year. That is why she has lost distance in her tee shots. But so far she has made up for that with an excellent short game. Korda praised Ashok as a “sneaky player.” “She has some kind of swagger on the putting green. She owns it,” said Korda. Both Korda and Ashok are 23.

With a spree of early birdies, in the fourth, sixth and seventh, Ashok had got off to a good start but was pegged back by bogeys in the ninth and 11th. But in her second Olympics, the golfer from Bengaluru, who has three Ladies European Tour titles and plays in the LPGA, had a good back nine with birdies in the 15th and 17th to move into sole second spot. “I didn’t really have my best, especially on the long holes with the long approaches where I wasn’t as consistent. (But) it was a good day and I did not make as many bogeys as I could have,” Ashok said. “My putting wasn’t as good as the first two days. So those couple par putts that were like the one on 12 and the one on 18, helped.”

Ashok had started the day four behind Korda and in jointsecond with Denmark’s Nanna Madsen Koerstz and Kristine Emily Pedersen.

Ashok had been in contention for a medal at the halfway stage in Rio where golf made its Olympics debut. Then it was her father Ashok Gudlamanu who was carrying her bag. Here, mother Maheswari is her caddie.

“For sure (there will be pressure) but I’m not thinking about it,” said Ashok about Day 4.

REUTERS Aditi Ashok.