Young Indian golfer Aditi Ashok made a triumphant return to the Ladies European Tour by clinching the Fatima Bin Mubarak Ladies Open after surviving a few anxious moments in the closing stages.
The 19-year-old sounded a warning to her competitors ahead of the Hero Indian Open, where she will defend her title next week.
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It is Aditi’s third LET win in less than 12 months. India’s other player, Vani Kapoor (70) finished in a tie for 57th.
Aditi, who won the Hero Indian Open and Qatar Ladies Open last year, survived a late scare when she double bogeyed the par-3 17th. But she held her nerve to par the 18th and final hole for a one-shot win over Georgia Hall (66).
Aditi, who started the day at 15-under and led American Cheyenne Woods by two shots, bogeyed the fourth, but six birdies between the fifth and 15th holes saw her open a big gap over her rivals.
{{/usCountry}}Aditi, who started the day at 15-under and led American Cheyenne Woods by two shots, bogeyed the fourth, but six birdies between the fifth and 15th holes saw her open a big gap over her rivals.
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While Woods fell behind, Georgia Hall and Camilla Lennarth made a strong bid. Aditi was 20-under when she came to the 17th tee, by which time Georgia playing one group ahead had finished and 17-under and Lennarth finished at 16-under. When Aditi double bogeyed the 17th, she was just one ahead of Hall and needed to par the final hole to ensure she won outright. A bogey would have sent the contest into a play-off.