‘The first win was special, because I won in India, but I felt I played really well here and had to play well every day and
shoot sub-par rounds. I think my game was better this week and obviously to win in Qatar, on a golf course which is the same as the men’s, feels great. It was a challenging last four days for me and I am happy I came out on top in the end’

Leading by two strokes going into the final hole of the Qatar Ladies Open yesterday, the par-five 18th, Aditi Ashok knew the title was in her grip.
The Indian teenager’s closest challenger, Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, had already finished her round. Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark—who shared the lead with her going into yesterday’s final round and was in the leaders’ group with her alongside Wales’ Becky Morgan—was already four strokes behind after a horrendous double-bogey on the ninth.
Heavy showers in the morning had wiped off a couple of hours of play, and dusk had fallen when Aditi began her final charge.
She just needed a par, or perhaps could even afford the luxury of a bogey even, but she chose neither. She had started this tournament with a bogey on the opening day; she needed to sign off with a flourish.
Her third shot landed almost 20 feet from the pin. Could she sign off with a birdie? Too long, and it was already dark.
But it was her day, it was her moment. And a birdie it was, and as the crowd applauded, it was her reaction that stood out.
No clinching of fists, no shriek of joy, as one expects from an 18-year-old.
It was far mature—just a calm and tired look of joy at her father and caddie Pandit Gudlamani Ashok, as if telling him, “See papa, I have done it!”
It’s the second time the 18-year-old prodigy has done it in a fortnight, after her maiden Ladies European Tour win in the Hero Women’s Indian Open on November 13.
She goes back richer by €75,000 (QR 290,000). Her next stop is the LPGA Qualifying Tournament (Stage III) in Florida, starting tomorrow at Daytona Beach in Florida, for which she flew out yesterday evening itself soon after the prize giving ceremony.
Aditi’s four-day total of 15-under 273 was three strokes ahead of second-placed Hedwall and Lydia Hall (both 12-under 276).
Madsen kept pace with Aditi for the better part of the front nine, till that double-bogey on the ninth upset her momentum.
There was plenty of final-day drama in the first-ever Ladies European Tour event, when play had to be suspended around noon due to thunder and lightning which was followed by heavy rain.
Aditi and Madsen started the day tied for lead at 12-under, but Dane gained a one-stroke advantage when she birdied the second hole, when play was stopped.
Just when it looked like the event might see a Monday finish, the rain stopped, the skies brightened, and play began.
After going even-par till the sixth, Aditi took a one-stroke lead when she had back-to-back gains on the seventh and eighth. Another par finish on the ninth, coupled with Madsen’s double-bogey, increased her lead to four shots at the turn.
And she never looked back there after, playing calmly to continue with her even-par round till the 15th, before two more birdies on the 16th and 18th sealed her triumph.
Swede Hedwall fired a superb 67 in tough conditions to finish as joint runner-up with Hall, while overnight co-leader Madsen dropped to fourth on 11-under after a one-over par round of 73. England’s Annabel Dimmock secured a top-five finish, carding 10-under for the tournament.
Aditi’s biggest threat on the back nine came from Hedwall, who treated fans to a feast of birdies and made a late surge up the leaderboard, but ultimately it was not enough to catch the Indian ace.
“It’s been a great few weeks. I won my home event in the Indian Open, which was my first win. To win back to back events feels really good,” Aditi said.
“It was really difficult at the start because of the rain. Then we stopped for more than an hour and a half and when we got back it was really windy, so that was difficult, but I guess it was the same for everybody. I was trying to hit greens and make pars. That birdie on the last felt really good,” she reflected.
“The first win was special, because I won in India, but I felt I played really well here and had to play well every day and shoot sub-par rounds.
“I think my game was better this week and obviously to win in Qatar, on a golf course which is the same as the men’s, feels great. It was a challenging last four days for me and I am really happy I came out on top in the end,” the Bangalore girl added.
At 13-under after 17 holes, joint runner-up Hedwall had the opportunity to force a play-off but bogeyed the long 18th.
“I still felt far behind but I had a shot on the last. It was unfortunate that my second shot ended up in the bunker, because it was so wet in there so it was hard to get out,” she said.
“I gave it a go and I’m really happy with a five-under today and second place,” added the 27-year-old Swedish Solheim Cup star.
Halfway leader Hall said she felt rejuvenated by the weather delay.
“Yesterday was a little bit tough with the putter and again, to start off today, it was a bit rusty, but I got it going after the break and I’m really pleased with my tied second finish,” the Wales golfer said.
Madsen ended in fourth place on 11-under-par, with Annabel Dimmock in fifth and Nicole Garcia in sixth.
England's Georgia Hall and Wales' Becky Morgan, who shot a poor three-over 75 on the final day after Friday's sizzling 66, were joint seventh, with five further players tied for ninth.
The dramatic day was a fitting end to the inaugural Qatar Ladies Open, a historical event as the country’s first professional women’s golf tournament.
Even the rain failed to dampen the spirits of the crowds, who swept through the gates and avidly followed the final day leaders around the course.
Hassan Nasser al-Naimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, was happy with the exciting finish of Qatar's maiden LET event.
“The Qatar Golf Association is proud to celebrate the resounding success of the inaugural Qatar Ladies Open.
“With an action-packed week of world-class golf, culminated by today’s thrilling finale and a deserving winner, these LET stars have proved that this event is going to become one of the most important women’s tournaments on the tour," he said.
"We look forward to welcoming the world’s best female golfers and fans back to Doha in 2017,” al-Naimi added.

Leading Scores
-15: ADITI ASHOK (INDIA) 273 (70-66-68-69)
-12: CAROLINE HEDWALL (SWEDEN) 276 (71-67-71-67); LYDIA HALL (WALES) 276 (67-68-72-69)
-11: NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN (DENMARK)
277 (69-66-69-73)
-10: ANNABEL DIMMOCK (ENGLAND) 278
(69-67-70-72)
-9: NICOLE GARCIA (SA) 279 (69-70-71-69)
-8: GEORGIA HALL (ENGLAND) 280 (72-72-68-68)

Prize Money Break-up
1. ADITI ASHOK (IND) €75,000
Tied Second: CAROLINE HEDWALL (SWE), LYDIA HALL (WAL) €37,500
4. NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN (DEN) €22,500
5. ANNABEL DIMMOCK (ENG) €18,000
6. NICOLE GARCIA (SA) €15,500
Tied Seventh: GEORGIA HALL (ENG),
BECKY MORGAN (WAL) €13,250
Tied Ninth: FLORENTYNA PARKER (ENG), MALENE JORGENSEN (DEN) €11,000