Aditi Ashok, 18-year-old Indian golfer defying rankings at Rio 2016
Aditi Ashok was 5 ½ years old when a chance breakfast near Karnataka Golf Association brought her in contact with golf. It turned out to be an encounter that has lasted for close to 13 years.
India’s Aditi Ashok started her maiden Olympics campaign on a high, carding an impressive three-under 68 to finish tied seventh after the opening round. By the end of second round, the Bangalore teenager was tied eighth. The third round, however, didn’t go to the plan as she dropped 23 places to be tied 31st.
Whether or not she manages a podium finish is still a matter of speculation, but the young golfer, whose date with the sport started as a 5 ½ years old with a chance breakfast near Karnataka Golf Association, has shown enough spark to be considered a long-term prospect.
She is the only Indian golfer to have played the Asian Youth Games (2013) Youth Olympic Games (2014) and Asian Games (2014). Her maiden national win was at the age of 9 years and 10 months. She is a three-time National Junior Champion and two-time National Amateur Champion.
Here’s all you need to know about the youngest golfer in fray at the Rio Olympics:
Date of Birth: March 29, 1998
Place: Bangalore
Turned professional: January 1, 2016
Status: Ladies European Tour full member
Youngest in the field at Rio at 18 years
School: Frank Anthony Public School, Bangalore
Started learning golf at 5 and ½ years and played first round at 6 years 2 months. Her home club is Bangalore Golf Club, also practices at the Karnataka Golf Association
Hobbies: Reading, movies, music
Golf coach: Steven Giuliano
Strength and conditioning coach: Nicolas Cabaret
Read: Rio 2016: Indian golfer Aditi Ashok drops to tied 31st
Current rankings
Official Women’s World Ranking (Rolex Ranking): 462
Ladies European Tour, Current Order of Merit Ranking: 59
Ladies European Tour, Rookie of the Year Ranking: 3
Earnings this season on LET: €14,224.77
Career highlights
# Only Indian golfer to have played the Asian Youth Games (2013) Youth Olympic Games (2014) and Asian Games (2014)
# Maiden national win was at the age of 9 years and 10 months
# Three-time national junior champion in 2012, 2013, 2014
# Two-time national amateur champion in 2011, 2014
# Played twice at World Amateur Team Championships, Junior Open and Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
# Played four times at Asia-Pacific Ladies Team Invitational Queen Sirikit Cup
# Played five times at the Asia Pacific Juniors and a few others for India from the age of 12
Course records
# Equalled the women’s amateur course record of eight-under par on the New Course, St Andrews Links in May 2015
# Set a women’s course record of eight-under par at the Karnataka Golf Association, Bangalore in July 2015
# Equalled the men’s course record and set a women’s course record with her career’s lowest round of 10-under par on Samanah Country Club, Marrakech, Morocco in Dec 2015
# The youngest and first Indian to win Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Aicha Tour School 2016 with the lowest winning score of 23-under par at 17 years
Read: Rio 2016: Indian golfer Aditi Ashok four shots off the lead