Indian sports news wrap, June 2

Golf

Aditi cards 67, lies 2nd in Americas Open

India’s Aditi Ashok shot a bogey-free five-under 67 to lie second at the Mizuho Americas Open golf tournament here.

The lone Indian on the world’s biggest professional stage of women’s golf, Aditi was lying second behind leader Lauren Hartlage (65).

As Hartlage shot her career-best round on the LPGA with five birdies and an eagle and no bogeys, Aditi had five birdies and no bogeys and was two behind at the iconic Liberty National Golf Club.

Aditi was second after a loss in a play-off at JM Eagle LA Championship and finished T-5 at the Cognizant Founders Cup.

She already has one win this season on the Ladies European Tour besides two other top-3 finishes and leads the Order of Merit on the other side of the Atlantic.

“I don’t think you can ever go into an event thinking this is the one I’m going to win because golf kind of humbles you sometimes,” Aditi said.

“But, yeah, I just know that if I play good four days, then I’ll have a pretty good chance. I just focus on trying to play the best round of golf I can play on that day. Sometimes that’s a 67; sometimes that’s a 72,” added Aditi, who has been on the LPGA tour since 2017.

Starting on the 10th, Aditi was up and running with birdies on 10th and 12th and added a third on 16th. She turned in three-under and further gains came in from fifth and sixth.

Aditi played very well hitting 12 of the 14 fairways and found 13 greens in regulation and needed 27 putts for the round. She may have missed a couple of birdies but was happy with a 67.

Hartlage dominated with a bogey-free seven-under.

She started with an eagle on the tenth and kept up the tempo.

At tied third are Northern Irishwoman Stephanie Meadow and two-time champion Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand.

Thitikul fought windy conditions throughout the afternoon to earn her 68.

Seven players shot three-under and are T-5 heading into round two, including two-time major champions Brooke Henderson and Lydia Ko.

Making her professional debut after a spectacular amateur career, Rose Zhang shot a two-under 70.

-PTI

Steady start for Manu Gandas in Germany

Indian golfer Manu Gandas carded an even par 72 that placed him Tied-26th at the Porsche European Open here.

Gandas came into the DP World Tour because of the strategic alliance with the India’s domestic PGTI Tour, where he topped the rankings last year.

Gandas, the lone Indian in the field as Shubhankar Sharma took time off this week to practice for the Open next month, had three birdies against three bogeys. Gandas started from the first with a birdie but he bogeyed second, fourth and eighth and turned in 2-over. Birdies on 14th and 15th saved the day for him as he turned in a card of even par. Germany’s Max Kieffer carded a four under par 69 to share the first-round lead as he staked an early claim to become the first German winner on home soil for 15 years.

Kieffer shared a one-stroke lead with Sweden’s Simon Forsström, who carded five birdies and a bogey to join the German at the top of the leader board.

-PTI