Tokyo 2020: Aditi tied 2nd, Diksha falters

Bengaluru, August 4: India's Aditi Ashok got her Tokyo 2020 golf campaign off to a sound start, carding a four-under 67 in the opening round to be tied second with USA's Nelly Korda while compatriot Diksha Dagar (76) had a rough beginning as she had five bogeys to lie tied 56th.

Unlike other events, at Tokyo 2020, the 60-player field will play 18 holes each day and there will be no cut and tall the golfers will get to play 72 holes.

After the first round at Kasumigaseki Country Golf Club, Aditi is just one one shot behind the leader, Madalene Sagstrom of Sweden, who shot 66.

A bright start in Round 1 of women’s individual stroke play for #IND’s Aditi Ashok as she is currently tied in 2nd place with #USA’s Nelly Korda. 🏌️‍♂️@DikshaDagar finished in the 56th position. They will both play in Round 2 tomorrow! 👐#Tokyo2020 | #Golf | @aditigolf pic.twitter.com/vggM8a6XlK

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 4, 2021

"I think I played better than I expected because I had a lot of hybrids into the greens, so I didn't really expect to be like 5-under through 17," Aditi was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.

Aditi may well have had a share of the lead but for a bogey on the 18th hole.

While Sagstrom shot a bogey free five-under 66, Aditi had five birdies against one bogey and that too on the closing hole.

She was placed well ahead of some big names in women's golf, including the defending champion Inbee Park (69) who is eyeing a repeat gold.

Tokyo Olympics: Inbee Park healthy, relaxed as she looks for repeat gold

Among others, South Korea's world No.1 Ko Jin-young , Finland's Matilda Castren and Spaniard Carlota Ciganda were tied fourth after all three carded 3-under 68 each.

New Zealand's former world No.1 Lydia Ko (70) was four behind the leader, while Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn, a double major winner, stumbled to 77 with six bogeys and is tied 58th.

Major winners Feng Shanshan of China and Canadian Brooke Henderson shot 74 each.

Aditi birdied fifth and ninth from 15 feet and seven feet respectively.

On the back nine, she added birdies on the 13th from 15 feet and another from almost 18 feet on 17th.

In between, she had another birdie on 14th from under three feet after a superb approach. Placed at 5-under she bogeyed the last after missing a par from under seven feet.

'But, I kind of holed some good putts and holed important par putts as well which kept the momentum. So, yeah, it was a good day," she said.

Tokyo 2020: Aditi, Diksha all set for women's golf at Olympics

The 23-year-old from Bengaluru, who has 18 Major appearances, had attracted global attention with back-to-back 68's in the first two rounds at Rio 2016, but then faded to finish tied 41st.

However, Aditi is banking on her experience this time.

"At Rio 2016, I had just finished my high school exams and then I was at the Olympics quickly in two months time. But this time, I think definitely a lot more experience, just playing on the LPGA the last five years makes you way better as a player than I was at Rio.

"And I think the Olympic experience was, I didn't finish as well as I wanted to last time, but just seeing the effect that it had on golf in India was inspiring and that's kind of what motivated me for this one as well," Aditi added.