NW Arkansas Championship: Aditi Ashok sizzles in second round to rise to tied 5th on LPGA

Rogers: Aditi Ashok produced her best on the LPGA as she sizzled with a second round 64 at the Walmart NWA that saw her jump from tied 53rd to tied fifth. Aditi, playing in her rookie year, had eight birdies and just one bogey. Aditi’s best on the LPGA Tour had been tied 32 at Meijer LPGA Classic last week and she has made five cuts in seven starts, including one Major, the ANA Inspiration. [caption id=“attachment_3745259” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Aditi Ashok. Image courtesy: Twitter/@LPGA[/caption] At eight-under, Aditi is eight shots behind the leader, So Yeon Ryu. So Yeon opened with a first-round 65 and then produced a stunning 10-under 61 to move to 16-under 126. She is presently enjoying a five shot lead over Stacy Lewis (66-65). Through 36 holes, So Yeon holds a five-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Moriya Jutanugarn. “Obviously, I feel good,” said Ashok, who joins Simi Mehra as the only Indian women to hold LPGA Tour cards. “I knew yesterday with the wind the morning half is the scoring half, so I knew if I get out early and hit some good shots, I would be able to make some birdies. I dropped one shot, but I held enough putts to have a good score.” Aditi is looking to improve upon her best LPGA finish of tied 32nd, which she earned at the Meijer LPGA Classic last week. “I had a great season last year but obviously the LPGA is where the best play,” said Aditi. “So, I’m just excited to be in this position and I’m just going to try to make the most of it and give my best.” The rookie from Bangalore hopes that her experiences at the 2016 Summer Olympics and winning on the Ladies European Tour (LET) will serve her well in Monday’s final round. “The Olympics was sort of halfway into my rookie year on the LET, but it was a huge experience,” said Aditi, who finished 41st at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. “I won a couple of events on LET, which was a good sign, and then I made it through Q school and now I’m here.” So Yeon’s 61 is the lowest 18-hole round in Walmart NWA history, breaking the previous mark of 62. She also set the tournament 36-hole record at 126.