Belmont (USA) June 14 (PTI): Aditi Ashok opened her challenge at the Meijer LPGA Classic with one of her best rounds of the season, carding a 4-under 68 for a tied 11th place here.

Aditi’s round started on the tenth with birdies on the 11th and the 12th holes.

A bogey on 17th followed by a birdie on the 18th saw her turn in 2-under.

On the second nine, the front side of the Par-72 Blythefield Country Club, she parred all the way till she picked birdies on the eighth and the ninth, her final two holes.

Two of her five birdies came on Par-5s on a course that has five Par-5s.

Aditi’s best round this season before this was also 68 at the Honda LPGA in Thailand in February and she finished tied 31 in the event.

Her best finish this season has been 21st at the HSBC World championships. She has made eight cuts in 11 starts prior to this week.

Californian Alison Lee holds a first-round lead after an opening round 65. She took advantage of the five par-5s with a bridie or better on each.

This has been her best 18-hole score of the season so far. Lee, who was runner-up three times in 2023, is looking for her first win.

There were nine players in tied second and they were all at 5-under 67.

The big names in the bunch were Brooke Henderson, Carlota Ciganda, Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is tied 133 at 4-over after never quite recovering from going double-bogey, bogey, bogey in her first three holes.

Source: PTI News