Aditi chases maiden LPGA win as Diksha is top 10 at LET event

By Rahul Banerji

Aditi Ashok continued her impressive run this season and will be in title contention on the final day of the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.

Across the Atlantic, Diksha Dagar was also within striking distance of the top at the Helsingborg Open in Sweden.

After two rounds the left-hander was on 5 under 139, two shots behind leaders Nicole Garcia of South Africa and Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino.

Now in her seventh year on the LPGA, Aditi has been close to a breakout twice already and on Saturday fired a 4 under 68 for a 9 under total, two shots behind leader Rose Zhang.

At the JM Eagle LA Championship in late April, the Bangalore golfer finished tied for second in a playoff and followed that up with a tied fifth placing at the Cognizant Founders Cup in mid-May.

Trademark shot

In Jersey City on Saturday, the 25-year-old fired five birdies in her third round including a hole-out from the bunker, a shot that is becoming something of a trademark as LPGA debutant Zhang led the field with a 11 under 205.

Aditi also dropped one shot but she was on the mark on the greens, needing just 25 putts on the day.

According to the LPGA website, Aditi said while she always knew her short game was good enough to compete, it was her long game that could use the most improvement, something she had worked on most ahead of the season.

“I think for me I always believed I could do it, because I knew I had the short game and the putting, but I just didn’t hit it far enough.

“My first year I used to hit it a bit further than I did last year, but still in the last five, six seasons I felt like to be a better player I needed some length, so I worked on that in the offseason,” said the winner of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.

Distance gained

“I feel like that 20, 30 yards extra has just been helping me look at the flag on some holes as opposed to playing middle of the green. The closer I get, it helps that my putting is good, too, so creates more birdies.”

Aditi’s two top-five finishes this season have brought her career top 10 count to eight, but she’s still looking for that first LPGA Tour title.

With lessons learned from being in contention, she is now worried about nothing more than putting up a low number and managing her mistakes.

“This golf course makes you think a lot. If you get the right angles and if you play it smart, I think it’s easier not to drop shots.

“At least that’s what I felt when I played the first round, so that’s what I tried to stick to. I think three bogeys so far is not too bad and hopefully I can keep that going,” Aditi told the tour website.

“I think I just have to shoot a good round. Every week ten or fifteen girls play the best golf, but one of them ends up winning.

“I think I really have to shoot a good round. Hopefully, go make more birdies than I made today. Try not to drop shots.”

At the top, tour debutant Rose Zhang fired a clean 66, one of just two bogey-free scores on Saturday, alongside LPGA Tour Rookie Hae Ran Ryu.

Late run

At Allerum, Sweden, Diksha followed her opening 70 with a 3 under 69 that included three birdies over the final five holes.

Besides the former Women’s South African Open winner, Vani Kapoor (73-70) on 1 under 141 was tied for 16^th and Tvesa Malik (74-74) in shared 55^th having made the cut on the line.

Seher Atwal and Amandeep Drall missed out at the Allerun Golf Club.

Diksha, who was tied sixth at the Belgian Ladies Open last week, swapped bogey for birdie in her first 13 holes.

She then picked up the pace with three birdies in the last five holes to take a share of sixth place, but well within striking range of the top spot.

In the first round, Diksha had six birdies against four bogeys.

Vani played a bogey-free round for her 70 while Tvesa helped her cause greatly with two late birdies that saw her finish the day on the bubble.

Also read: Aditi lands season’s 2nd top-five finish at Cognizant Founders Cup