Aditi Ashok wins Lalla Aicha Q School Final Qualifying

Aditi Ashok earned a Ladies European Tour card after a strong finish in Morocco

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Aditi Ashok - Lalla Aicha Q School 2015

December 22, 2015: Teenage sensation Aditi Ashok won a massive three shot victory at the Samanah Country Club in Morocco to pave herself a path to the European Tour. The 17 year old from Bengaluru created history when she trounced a seasoned field of professionals to claim a three shot victory over Daisy Nielsen. The young Indian amateur shot 70 in the final round to sign off with an overall score of 23-under 337 after a 90 hole marathon for the right to play on the Ladies European Tour.

The teenager was a tad nervous at the beginning of the final round, understandably so. She was an amateur mixing it with the big girls of Europe, playing in the final group of an event that matters a great deal to everyone in the field.

Aditi sank bogeys at the second and third holes even as she fought the butterflies invading her senses. But the class XII student from Bengaluru settled down quickly, asserting herself with characteristic poise through the rest of the round.

A birdie at the par-5 fifth hole helped calm the nervous teenager, who went on to make five straight pars before getting back to even terms at the 11th hole.

She added a third birdie at the 15th hole, before signing off with a confident birdie at the 90th hole of her five day sojourn in Morocco.

Even as Aditi was playing with the assurance of a seasoned veteran, overnight leader Karolin Lampert was wilting under pressure from her Indian competitor. She slipped into third spot after signing on a four over 76 in the final round, five shots behind Aditi.

Meanwhile Nielsen was firing the best round of the day, shooting 6-under 66 to jump into second spot behind Aditi. But for all of Nielsen’s brilliance in the fifth round, she was languishing three strokes behind the sensational Indian golfer.

Victory at the Samanah Golf Club means that Aditi can now turn professional and claim a full card for 2016 on the Ladies European Tour. Aditi is obviously the youngest Indian to ever qualify for the prestigious tour, eclipsing Sharmila Nicollet, who was 20 when she made the level in 2012.

Aditi is only the third Indian woman to earn the right to pursue golf on the Ladies European Tour behind the ageless Smriti Mehra and Nicollet.

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