India’s Ashok eyeing Olympic medal after last-minute dash to Paris

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok is hoping to make up for a near-miss in Tokyo by winning an Olympic medal this week, after rushing to catch a flight following an event in the United States on Sunday.

Ashok only arrived in Paris late on Monday evening after playing an LPGA Tour event in Portland.

She said she took a flight from Portland to London but did not arrive at her hotel until 11:00 pm local time after her connecting flight from Heathrow was delayed.

Ashok has not been given any favours by the organisers as she will tee off in the third group in Wednesday’s first round at 09:22 am.

“When I holed out, my dad — well, my caddie, obviously my dad, went straight to the car to pack the golf bag,” Ashok said on Tuesday.

“I submitted the card and I was like, ‘Ok, just make sure I sign it’ because I didn’t want to forget.

“Then I just got to the car, packed my golf bag, had a shower and I think we were in the airport within 30 minutes of holing my last putt… Catching the flight was the hardest part.”

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The 26-year-old insisted she would not be under-cooked despite her frantic journey, as she had practised at Olympic venue Le Golf National ahead of last month’s Evian Championship.

This will be the fifth consecutive week Ashok has played a tournament.

“I feel like some stuff would have changed, and I need to figure that stuff out today,” added the world number 63 of the Albatros course.

“I don’t think I’m as under-prepared as maybe people would think I am.”

Ashok fell just short of the medal positions three years ago in Tokyo.

She finished fourth, one shot behind bronze medallist Lydia Ko and two strokes adrift of champion Nelly Korda.

India has won three medals so far in Paris, all in shooting, and will be hoping Ashok can go at least one better as it attempts to match its record-breaking tally of seven from Japan.

“These events I think are so much different than a regular event,” said Ashok.

“So many people back home watch golf just because it’s in the Olympics. So it’s like a different demographic of people who get to watch me play which is cool.”

India will also be represented by 167th-ranked Diksha Dagar in Paris.

Shubhankar Sharma finished tied-40th in the men’s competition, two shots ahead of fellow Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar.