Asian Games 2023: Aditi Ashok bags silver for India in golf

Hangzhou: India made history after Aditi Ashok bagged the first medal in the women's individual golf at Asian Games 2023 here on Sunday.

Aditi claimed silver by carding 17-under 271 (67-66-61-77) in four rounds at the West Lake International Golf Course. She will savour this achievement, especially after missing out on a podium spot at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics two years back.

The gold medal was claimed by Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol, who carded 19-under 269 (67-65-69-68). The Republic of Korea’s Hyunjo Yoo won the bronze with 16-under 272 (68-73-66-65).

Aditi was brilliant in the first three rounds and after a sensational 11-under on Saturday, the Indian golfer went into the final round with a healthy seven-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard.

The 25-year-old Aditi, however, endured a disappointing day on the greens and squandered her lead to Yubolk after a double bogey on the 16th hole, where she hit one in the water.

While Aditi carded just a single bogey in her first three rounds combined, she endured three and four bogeys and a double in the fourth round alone.

India’s Pranavi Urs finished 13th in the women’s golf tournament with four-under 284 while Avani Prashanth was T18th with three-over 291.

The trio’s combined score of 22-under 554 placed India fourth in the women’s team golf event at Hangzhou 2023 behind Thailand, the Republic of Korea and China.

The Indian men’s golfers, meanwhile, had a disappointing outing in Hangzhou.

Olympian Anirban Lahiri (14-under 274) finished T12th and was the best-ranked Indian in the men’s individual event. Hitesh Khalin Joshi (seven-under 281) came in at T27 followed by veteran SSP Chawrasia (six-under 282) at 29th.

Subhankar Sharma (two-under 286) was 32nd.

In the men’s team event, India finished seventh with a total of 830. (UNI)