Aditi stays in contention despite late double at Founders Cup

Aditi Ashok of India on the sixth tee during the first round of the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup golf tournament, on May 11, 2023, in Clifton, New Jersey
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s Aditi Ashok stayed in the frame despite a late double bogey in the third round of the Cognizant Founders Cup at New Jersey’s Upper Montclair Country Club here.

The young Indian star, who has been in the upper part of the leader board since Day 1, shot 1-under 71 and moved to 8-under for three rounds, but was four shots off the lead taken over by her playing partner, Australian Minjee Lee (67).

Minjee, who played in the lead group at the same event last year also, was 12-under and chased by Angel Yin (68) and Korean Hae Ran Ryu (70) who were tied second while Aditi and Major champion Ashleigh Buhai (68) and the Korean superstar Jin Young Ko (72) were tied fourth.

Aditi said, “Started off pretty good. Chipped in from the fringe on first and holed a six-footer on 4, which was a good wedge shot. Kind of bogeyed the par-3s (sixth and eighth) on the front, so didn’t hit good iron shots.

“I hit it in places where up and down was really hard. Back nine was a little better for par-3s. Except for 16 (double bogey). Made a bunch of birdies, I think five, which is not too bad. Just couldn’t save many of them.” Aditi birdied first, fourth, ninth, 12th and 14th and dropped shots on sixth and eighth and a double bogey on Par-4 16th.

Aditi was 3-under for the day and 10-under for the tournament coming into the final stretch of three holes.

She said, “Just one bad swing that ended up costing me two shots. Feel like sometimes you make a bad swing and it doesn’t cost you anything. You get away with par. That was a bad swing that cost me two strokes.” From being two back of playing partner Minjee, who a short while had an eagle on Par-5 12th, the Indian went four back.

Stating her goal for the final day, she said, “I think not making as many mistakes. The first two days I think I made four bogeys, but then today I dropped four shots just on the day. So try and hopefully not drop any shots (on the final day).

“I feel like I’m hitting it close enough, making enough putts to make enough birdies; just try to think of bogey-free tomorrow.” Minjee Lee in 2022 shot a third-round 69 on way to victory. This time she had a 67 with an eagle, four birdies and one bogey in her 67. Her eagle came at the par-5 12th hole, where she reached the green in two and drained a 20-foot putt.