Dubai Ladies Masters: Aditi Ashok moves to third, in line for hat-trick of titles

Dubai: Indian golfer Aditi Ashok continued with her magnificent run with a second successive round of two-under 70 that lifted her to tied-third in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, the final event of the Ladies European Tour for 2016 on Friday. Aditi, winner of the last two events on LET, is chasing an incredible hat-trick of wins after winning the Hero Women’s Indian Open and Qatar Ladies in her last two starts. [caption id=“attachment_3148902” align=“alignleft” width=“381”] Indian golfer Aditi Ashok in action. Image courtesy: ladieseuropeantour.com[/caption] In between, she flew to United States to earn a membership into the LPGA, where she missed a full card but will have limited status. The 18-year-old Aditi, who shot 70 in the first round, began the second round at the 10th and immediately bogeyed it. But three birdies between the 15th and 18th saw her turn in red figures at two-under. On the front nine of the Emirates Golf Club, she birdied the first to get to three-under, but gave back that gain on the sixth with a bogey to finish at two-under. At four-under 140, Aditi, who is leading the Rookie of the Year race, is Tied-third with Emily Pedersen, the Rookie of the Year in 2015. “I think I played pretty well, especially in the middle. I started from the back nine. I did really well from like 15 to like the middle nine holes, it was really good,” said Aditi. “I made four or five birdies, so that was good, but obviously I did not play as well on the par 5s as I thought I would. I made only one birdie and I bogeyed the 10th, as well. It’s not great, but it was still 2-under, so it’s not bad. I’m happy,” she added. The leader was England’s Felicity Johnson who fired a second round of eight-under-par 64 in perfect conditions on ‘Pink Friday’ and with one-over on first day she is now leading at seven-under. Everyone wore pink today and the course was covered in pink pin flags, pin cups and pink tees, as the tournament is once again helping to raise awareness of breast cancer to support the Al Jalila Foundation. Overnight leader Florentyna Parker played a round of even par to lie at five-under 139 and two strokes behind Johnson. Defending champion Shanshan Feng from China had a second round of 70 to sit on two-under-par and five strokes behind Johnson. Finland’s Minea Blomqvist made a hole in one the 147-yard seventh using a 7-iron to win a fabulous Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M ladies’ watch. This was the second ace of the tournament week, following Whitney Hillier’s at the fourth in the first round.