Olympian golfer Aditi Ashok will go far, says Chawrasia

Seasoned golfer S.S.P. Chawrasia on Thursday heaped praise on Olympian Aditi Ashok who has been the toast of golf this season, saying the 18-year-old will go far.

"After Smriti Mehra, she is the first female golfer going abroad and doing so well," said Chawrasia, who finished tied 7th on the first day of the PGTI season-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship which started at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) here.

"She will go far. She has got partial qualification (in the Ladies Professional Golf Association) already. When I met her, she was all of five years. She told me (at Rio Olympics), I had asked for your (SSP's) autograph. I told her now you give me your autograph," said a smiling Chawrasia, who had a good year winning the Hero Indian Open and the Resorts World Manila Masters.

Aditi ended at tied-24th to earn the Partial Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour membership for 2017 at the qualifying tournament earlier this month.

Golfers finishing in the top-20 after the final round earned the full LPGA status for 2017, while a partial LPGA status was given to those who finished between 21st and 45th.

"She is very strong mentally," the 38-year-old signed off.

Aditi finished on a high of 41st -- India's best finish -- at Rio Olympics, where golf was re-instated after a 112-year hiatus, and won two titles in two weeks. With the historic feat, she certainly broke the glass ceiling.

The Bengaluru sensation scripted history in November when she became the first Indian woman to win a Ladies European Tour (LET) title by clinching the women's Indian Open.

In her next event, the Qatar Ladies Open, Aditi shot a final round of three-under-par 69 to bag the title along with the LET 'Rookie of the Year' award.

--IANS

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