Ocala (US), Mar 5 (PTI) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok carded an even par 72 in the opening round to lie tied 41st at the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala here.
Aditi, who had two birdies on second and Par-5 12th, dropped shots on Par-5 fifth and Par-5 18th. It left her five shots behind leader, Nelly Korda, who carried on from where she had left last week.
Last week in her first start in 2021, Aditi was T-48 at Gainbridge LPGA.
Korda shot a bogey-free five-under par 67 in the first round. She now has nine straight under par rounds in 2021 season. Last week Korda won her fourth career LPGA victory and first on American soil at Gainbridge LPGA.
Korda shares the lead with former NCAA champion Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst, who shot 67 each.
The effort from Kupcho, who shot 67, looked even better considering she played most of the back nine with a migraine that blurs her vision.
The third-ranked Nelly Korda, played alongside her older sister, Jessica, who had a 69 and Jin Young Ko, the World No. 1, who had a 75. Jessica won a playoff to start the LPGA season at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions before Nelly won last week.
Jing Yan of China and Jaye Marie Green shot 68, and Lydia Ko was in the group at 69 with Jessica Korda.
