Golf in India has another reason to be proud of how its women golfers are playing in key international tournaments. Aditi Ashok from Bangalore, achieved a fete by playing the Old Course at St Andrews and becoming one of the youngest winners of the prestigious women’s 54-hole tournament, the St Rule Trophy. Aditi was ten under on 216. [Feature Pic Credit: Cal Carson Golf Agency]
“I would say this is the biggest tournament I have ever won and to do it at St Andrews is brilliant,” said Aditi to Gillian Kirkwood for her blog. Aditi is moving on to Northern Ireland to play in the British women’s open amateur championship at Portstewart.
Aditi led from start to finish equalling the New Course women’s amateur record of eight-under-par 67 in her first round on Saturday. She went three shots clear of the field with a second-round 71 at the New Course to be 12-under-par for the final round over the Old Course.
The final day – as reported by Womenandgolf.com – brought mixed weather, heavy overnight rain lingering on well into the morning, to be replaced by sunshine and a wind that touched the 40mph mark in mid-afternoon. Aditi used every opportunity to stay focussed and hold on to her lead, not withstanding the weather.
Proud of her performance, Champika Sayal, secretary general of Women’s Golf Association of India shared, “Aditi Ashok is amongst India’s top world ranking players,currently. By participating in professional tournaments overseas, Aditi will be able to catapult her world rankings if she makes cuts week on week over the next 6 months.”
Aditi has had a spectacular 2014, giving her the right cues to build on her game. Aditi won the match play category of the Usha IGU All-India Ladies and Junior Girls’ Golf Championship in Bangalore in December.
Aditi is the only Indian golfer to have played in the Asian Youth Games, Youth Olympic Games and Asian Games. She has made 11 cuts in the 12 professional events played in, including a tied 38th finish at the 2014 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. She won the WGAI’s Ladies’ Professional Tournament at 13 years and five months. Her best performance in a professional tournament was finishing Tied 8th in the LET’s Hero Women’s Indian Open 2012 at 14 years of age.
Aditi started learning golf when she was five years old and played her first round, at the age of six years and two months, at the Bangalore Golf Club. She was coached by Bamby Randhawa, and later by Tarun Sardesai for a few years before she moved to Steven Giuliano from Malaysia. Nicolas Cabaret from France has also taught the young girl.
“She was in my junior camp in BGC for a couple of years. Did her grassroot training under me. Aditi would always arrive before time with her father and would be ready to go. Very dedicated and hard working. She had her short term and long goals always in sight,” Randhawa shared with golfingindian.com
She is three time National Junior Champion of India for 2014, 2013 and 2012 and two time National Amateur Champion for 2014 and 2011 and has won numerous national junior and amateur titles from the age of 10.
