Aditi Ashok gave her professional career a great start with a strong one-over 74 on the tough par-73 Beach Course at the USD 210,000 Oates Victorian Open here today.
The 17-year-old school golfer, who will play one more event before taking a break for her school-leaving examinations, had one birdie and two bogeys that placed her tied 17.
Aditi is five shots off the leader, Briton Georgia Hall (69). Hall leads by three over a group of eight players who carded one-under 72.
In an event that is being played over two courses, Aditi played a very steady round on the more difficult Beach Course. On a windy day when the course also played tough Aditi bogeyed the par-5 fifth. But she quickly made up with a birdie on par-5 11th. On par-3 17th, where the strong headwind made it particularly difficult, Aditi got a late bogey and ended with 74. Aditi's second course will be on the Creek Course.
This is Aditi's professional debut and comes after she won the Ladies European Tour Q-School in December. While the Victorian Open is not an LET event, the field includes legends like Laura Davies and Karrie Webb, both of whom were off-colour and shot 77 each.
Hall, often touted as a star of the future, finished with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes on the Beach Course to shoot a 4 under par round of 69 and will take a three shot lead into tomorrow's round at the other course, the Creek Course.
Interestingly, at her pro debut at the 2014 Dubai Ladies Masters, Hall shot a hole-in-one to win a Mercedes car, but took cash instead because she was not old enough at the time to hold a driver's license.
In the morning reigning women's champion Marianne Skarpnord scored her first tournament hole-in-one on the 12th hole on the Beach Course almost a year to the day after her partner Richard Green achieved the same feat.
