Aditi Ashok leads LPGA LA Championship
The HinduIndia’s Aditi Ashok had an eagle and four birdies in a one-under par 70 on Friday to seize a one-shot lead at the US LPGA Tour’s LA Championship. “Fifteen was really cool,” said Ashok, who won her fourth Ladies European Tour title in Kenya in February but is still seeking a first LPGA tour crown. “I just holed out with, like, sand wedge from 85 yards, so that was pretty cool.” Ashok said she’d debated the club with her father, Ashok Gudlamani, who is caddying for her this week, because “it was kind of an in-between number.” “We were almost trying to hit the next wedge because there’s water short of the green, but I decided to hit that one a little more full, and we got the number exactly right because it landed in the hole, so we’re like, OK, maybe it’s not a bad number.” Despite some difficulties the rest of the way, Ashok’s six-under total of 136 put her one shot clear of Australian Hannah Green, Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and American Cheyenne Knight. Ashok, who ended a streak of four missed cuts on the LPGA tour that dated back to last year, said she’d focus on limiting mistakes, rather than making more birdies, at the weekend.