Aditi Ashok has successfully secured her LPGA card for the 2024 season
Aditi Ashok, playing in her second event since winning the Asian Games Silver Medal in Hangzhou, China, shot 67-80-68-75 (2-over 290) to finish tied for 63rd in the US$ 3mn Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & CC in Malaysia.
Ashok has been in fine form on the 2023 LPGA Tour, making 15 cuts in 18 starts to earn a career best US$ 742,990 till date, which puts her at 34th on the LPGA’s Money List and easily secures her card for 2024. It has not always been such smooth sailing for the 25-year-old Bangalorean as in 2023, keeping her playing rights on the LPGA Tour was uncertain to the very end.
Celine Boutier of France shot 70-64-69-64 to tie Atthaya Thitikul 66-71-62-68 at 21-under par. The pair then engaged in a marathon nine-hole playoff before Boutier emerged the winner by making birdie on the par-3 15th to earn her fourth LPGA victory of the season.
Boutier, who started the final round five strokes behind Rose Zhang, made eight birdies, four on each nine, and no bogeys on Sunday. She held the clubhouse lead as Thitikul played in the final threesome. Thitikul birdied three of her last four holes, including the 18th, to force the playoff with Boutier. The pair were also subject to a 90-minute weather delay after the first playoff hole.
The LPGA Tour moves to Japan this week for the Toto Japan Classic, followed by the ANNIKA in Belleair, Fla.
Photo – Aditi Ashok