05 March 2021: After a relatively quiet season dulled into silence by the coronavirus, Aditi Ashok is set for a packed season on the LPGA, with the Olympics thrown into the mix. The 22-year-old is coming off a decent week in the Gainbridge LPGA and a 72 in the opening round of the Drive On Championship sets up a prospect of a good finish. There was a three-way tie at the top – Nelly Korda, the winner last week was alongside Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst, firing ahead on a 67.
Jing Yan and Jaye Marie Green were lying in T4 with ten other golfers tied in sixth at 69. The tightly packed leaderboard at the Ocala course meant that as many as twenty eight women were separated from each other by just three strokes.
Aditi began her day with a birdie at the par-4 second hole. But she conceded one back at the par-5 fifth hole before eventually making the turn in 36 strokes. The 173rd ranked Indian was straight off the tee, making 12 of 14 fairways but her irons were letting Aditi down on a day that tested her resolve.
But despite making just 10 of 18 greens in regulation, Aditi insured her card with some efficient work on the greens, taking 28 putts during the first round. Aditi went under par again on the par-5 twelfth hole but a late bogey on the 18th pegged her back to an even par round.
Kupcho’s struggled with migraine have been well documented since her visuals from the ninth tee during the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur made the rounds around the digital world. She experienced more of it on Thursday, but that did not prevent her from posting four straight birdies in her 67 for a share of the lead.
Nelly Korda shows no signs of letting up. The winner of the Gainbridge LPGA made a solid start to gain a share of the lead with Ernst and Kupcho. Ernst was the winner last year in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
It appears that Nelly Korda cannot put a step wrong at the moment. She has remained under par for 10 straight rounds since the Tour Championship. On Thursday, Korda was bogey-free, setting the tone for another week of success on the LPGA.
