‘Gold lost’, Asian Games 2023 silver medalist Aditi Ashok rues squandering seven-shot cushion going into final round

The youngster was in top spot after the end of the penultimate day.

Aditi Ashok registered her name in the annals of Indian golf by virtue of clinching a first-ever silver medal in the women’s individual category at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023 on Sunday (October 1st). However, the 25-year-old missed out on delivering a golden delight to the millions of fans back home keenly watching her on live television, after squandering a seven-shot cushion going into the final 18 holes of the stroke play competition.

Aditi had raised expectations of clinching individual gold after posting a sublime 11-under 61 in the penultimate round to take a massive seven-shot lead. She came close to clinching an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games back in 2021, where she finished fourth after sharing the lead with then World No. 1 Nelly Korda of USA.

However, the LPGA Tour regular could not replicate her third round heroics after carding a dismal five-over 77 at the West Lake International course. A double bogey on the par-3 16th, where her tee shot landed in the water hazard, all but ended her hopes of capturing the first Asiad gold in women’s golf.

Thailand’s Yubol Archipaya kept her cool to submit a strong four-under 68 in high pressure situation and snatch the gold medal from Aditi. “It was definitely a gold lost for me. I was leading by seven. Seven makes it worse, I guess. Definitely anybody would see it as a loss. It was my tournament to lose and I basically did that,” Aditi told reporters later.

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“Credit to her (Yubol) as she played great. She shot four-under in these conditions which is pretty good. She had the chance to catch up from the back and she played a good round. She forced me to play well and I didn’t, so that’s definitely a gold lost,” she added.  

Aditi herself gave a glimpse of her mental setup entering into the final round that explains what went wrong for the four-time Ladies European Tour winner and India’s highest-ranked female golfer. “The way your mind works is when you are behind, you are always thinking of the good stuff you can do to catch up. But, when you are leading, I don’t know if it’s good or not, the mind looks on what could go wrong,” the Arjuna awardee said.

The youngster’s silver ended the nation’s 13-year wait for a golf medal at the Asian Games since the 2010 Guangzhou edition. India now have seven Asiad medals from golf, including three gold and four silver.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was overjoyed by Aditi’s achievement and congratulated her for a memorable performance in Hangzhou. “Elated by the performance of @aditigolf, who brings home the prestigious Silver Medal in the Women’s Individual event at the Asian Games. Her focus and dedication is laudatory. Wishing her the very best for her future endeavours,” Modi tweeted from his official handle.

The Indian Golf Union (IGU), the naational federation for golf, had selected a seven-member team for the Asian Games. IGU President Brijinder Singh, who was in China for the golf competition, had words of encouragement for Aditi.

“It had been a long wait for a medal at the Asian Games. With professionals being allowed to play, the field became tougher. Great win by Aditi in the face of tough competition,” Singh told Khel Now.

More praise poured in from IGU Director General Major Gen. (retd) Bibhuti Bhushan. “Aditi Ashok, a rising star in the world of golf, has made the entire nation proud with her exceptional talent and dedication. Her remarkable achievement in the Asian Games is a testament to her hard work, perseverance and unwavering commitment to the sport of golf.

“In a tightly contested competition that featured some of the best golfers in the continent, Aditi showcased her skill, precision and determination. Her performance has not only raised the bar for Indian golf but also has demonstrated that she is a force to be reckoned with on the international stage,” Bhushan told Khel Now.

The Indian women’s team comprising Aditi, Pranavi Sharath Urs and Avani Prashanth missed out on a medal by finishing fourth with a total score of 22-under 554. The Indian men’s team had a disappointing display with Anirban Lahiri ending tied 12th in the individual category and the quartet of Lahiri, Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chawrasia and Khalin Joshi finishing seventh in the 10-team field.