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OLYMPIC GOLF

Aditi Ashok slips to fourth place by a whisker

The golfer was in second place in the three previous rounds, raising hopes of an Olympics medal in the event

Aditi Ashok takes a swing Wiki Commons

Anujit Mitter
Calcutta | Published 07.08.21, 03:39 PM

India's Aditi Ashok missed a medal narrowly as she signed off 4th in the Olympic Games' golf competition after carding a three-under 68 in the weather-hit final round here on Saturday.

The 23-year-old Bengalurean ended two strokes off the pace with a total of 15-under 269.

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It was a heartbreaking end to Aditi's campaign considering she started the day at 2nd. But it was nonetheless a major improvement as she had finished tied 41st in the 2016 edition where golf made a comeback to the Olympics.

In the final round, she fired five birdies -- on the 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th and 14th holes -- against two bogeys on the 9th and 11th.

Overnight leader and world number one Nelly Korda clinched the gold medal with a 2-under 69 that left her 17-under overall and a shot ahead of Japan's Mone Inami (65) and New Zealand's Lydia Ko (65).

Inami and Ko will compete in a play-off to decide the silver and bronze medal winners.

Play was disrupted for a while by a tropical storm after the leading pack had completed 16 holes but soon resumed at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Aditi was in medal contention for a major part of the day but the two bogeys pulled her back while Ko surged ahead with a sensational nine birdies against just three dropped shots in her final round.

PM hails golfer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded golfer Aditi Ashok, saying she may have narrowly missed out on a medal in the Tokyo Olympics but has gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail.

"Well played @aditigolf! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you've gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours," Modi tweeted.

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