Aditi Ashok showed that grit backed by precise strategy can help you win a match.  The 19-year-old Golfer made a victorious return to the Ladies European Tour by sealing the Fatima Bin Mubarak Ladies Open after surviving a few anxious moments in the closing stages.

 

 

                                                          Ashok was certainly the most consistent over the four days

 

The 19-year-old stated loud and clear that she has arrived ahead of the Hero Indian Open, where she will defend her title next week. 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.

 

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.

 

                                     

                                              Aditi with her peers at Fatima Bin Mubarak Ladies Open 

 

Ashok was certainly the most consistent over the four days so it was no surprise the seasoned golfer would be in the mix. She said, “I was in control as I had my game plan and I wasn’t too aggressive. I just kept giving myself birdie putts. That was the story of my putting all week. I guess it was the birdies that did it for me.”

 

 

Georgia Hall finished second with a flawless 6-birdie 66. Georgia Hall finished second with a flawless 6-birdie 66. 

 

She added, “I played the best rounds, in terms of my long game in 2017, but putting, I hit good ones and they just weren’t going in. Going down the last, I thought I was three behind, so I thought I had no chance, if I had known maybe things would have been different but it is what it is. But I really enjoyed the week in Abu Dhabi and had a lot of fun out there.”

 

Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth also managed to keep the pressure on throughout the day. A consistent performance of six birdies, aside from a fourteenth hole bogey, kept her nipping at the heels of Ashok and Hall, but it was not enough to quite catch the top two.

 

Lennarth said, “I’m absolutely thrilled with how I finished today. I have had a really solid week and gave it my all out there. I am going to go home, missing India and China, to get some much needed recovery before playing in Dubai.”