AGENCY
GOLF DE CHANTACO: Aditi Ashok played her fourth successive one-under 69 for her third straight top-10 finish on the Ladies European Tour at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France here.
18-year-old rookie Aditi, who was tied-ninth in Germany and then sixth in Spain, finished tied 10th in France, indicating a streak of fine performances. At the top the seasoned 34-year-old Beth Allen overturned a four stroke deficit with nine holes to claim a decisive victory.
After knocking at the door all season, the Californian fired rounds of 64, 67, 68 and 67 for a total of 14-under-par 266 to earn her second title on the Ladies European Tour.
Allen had two birdies and an eagle on the back nine at Golf de Chantaco to end four clear of Florentyna Parker and overnight leader Diana Luna.
Aditi opened the final day with a double bogey, but then went on an overdrive between the fourth and ninth as she had four birdies and an eagle to turn in a brilliant five-under 31, at which point she was in the running for a top-3. A disastrous triple bogey on par-11th was followed by a bogey on 14th but then she had her final birdie of the day on 15th. She ended with three straight pars. The card of 69 meant she finished at four-under 276 and in tied-10th place.
Aditi is now 34th on the Ladies European Tour rankings and is on her way to securing playing rights for the next season too.
With three straight top-10s, she will also be seen as one the contenders in the remaining events.
Her next event will be in China next week, where she tees up at the 300,000 Euro Xianmen International Ladies tournament.
Allen played the front nine in one-over 36 and birdied the 10th hole but went one ahead after Luna triple bogeyed the treacherous par-4 11th, which played as the most difficult hole on the course all week due to its severely sloping green, from back to front. (PTI)
