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Aditi Ashok fumbles but clinches historic silver medal for India at Asian Games
Finishing at -17, Aditi became a part of Indian sporting folklore as she became the first woman golfer to win a medal at the Asian Games.
Golfer Aditi Ashok endured a bad day but managed to secure a historic silver medal for India in women's individual at the Asian Games 2023. Aditi, poised for a gold medal after Round 3 yesterday, was on course for a top-of-the-podium finish but a series of unfortunate events during the period of 18 holes, dropped her out of the top spot. Still, finishing at -17, Aditi became a part of Indian sporting folklore as she became the first woman golfer to win a medal at the Asiad. Arpichuya Yubol of Thailand capitalised in Aditi's mistakes to take gold.
Despite starting the final round with a commanding 7-shot lead, Aditi's performance in the last round turned out to be underwhelming as she finished with a +5 score, allowing Yubol to leapfrog her to the top. Aditi day at the golf course was nothing short of eventful. On the 7th hole, she missed a chance for birdie as her putt slowed down just a yard away from the hole. Nevertheless, she managed to salvage a par score with a tap-in. Her lead over Yubol from Thailand reduced to five strokes due to a bogey on the sixth hole, but despite her early challenges, Aditi found some momentum, finishing her front nine with a birdie on the ninth hole. However, her overall performance in Round 4 was less than stellar, with two earlier bogeys contributing to a one-over-par score of 37.
As the round progressed, Yubol went from strength to strength, posting a two-under score of 34 and narrowing the gap to just four strokes between her and Aditi. The competition grew increasingly intense, with Aditi's lead shrinking to three strokes after the 10th hole when Yubol secured a birdie. Trouble loomed for Aditi on the 11th hole, as she found herself stuck in a bunker, but she managed to recover. Both golfers faced bogeys on the 11th hole, leaving Aditi with a three-stroke advantage but with focus being on Aditi ad Yubol, Xiyu Lin from China gained considerable ground, to race to third just four strokes. The drama continued, with Aditi maintaining her three-stroke lead through the 12th hole as Yubol kept up the pace.
On the 13th hole, Yubol showcased her skill with an excellent drive and a subsequent birdie. Meanwhile, Aditi could only secure a par score, and her lead was reduced to just two strokes with five holes to go. The 14th hole presented opportunities for both. Yubol had an excellent drive, setting up a 15-foot putt for a potential birdie but her putt narrowly missed the mark, much to Aditi's relief, as it seemed she might maintain her two-stroke lead going into the 15th.
Then, in another unexpected turn for Aditi, she missed an easy putt on the 14th hole, settling for a par score with a tap-in. The pressure was mounting with just four holes left, and her lead remained at two strokes. On the 15th hole, Aditi showed resilience with a remarkable recovery from a bunker, positioning herself for a potential par score. And yet, her lead dwindled to just one stroke, and the gold medal seemed to be slipping away.
Aditi's struggles continued on the 16th hole, where she suffered a challenging double bogey. This put her in second place, and with just two holes remaining, she needed a remarkable performance to regain the top spot. Yubol maintained a one-stroke lead, playing at -18, while Aditi, with by four bogeys and two double bogeys, had ended up conceding five strokes by then.
With Aditi stumbling, Lin and South Korea's Hyunjo Yoo were closing in rapidly, with scores of -16 and -15, respectively, and it seemed that the Indian might fall out of a medal contention altogether. With just two strokes behind Yubol, Aditi faced more difficulties when her drive on the last hole ended up in the rough. Still she recovered well to not conced a bogey. Also, to her relief, Lin and Yoo did not have the greatest of 18th hole either, allowing Aditi to secure a second-place finish.
