Aditi Ashok set for big LPGA test | Golf News – Times of India

Aditi Ashok. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

BENGALURU: Six months after her last competitive event, Aditi Ashok, the country’s lone golfer on the LPGA Tour, will get into tournament mode when the co-sanctioned Ladies Scottish Open tees off at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Thursday.
The 22-year-old, who last played at the NSW Open in February, left for Scotland in the wee hours of Monday. The three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, will also play the AIG Women’s Open (British Open) the following week and one event in Arkansas (USA) later this month.
Normally before a tournament, Aditi would memorize the yardage book and think more about the course and statistics. But in these testing times, golf has taken a back seat as she has been preoccupied with safety measures — buying sanitizing wipes, masks, gloves, etc. Her mother will accompany her, doubling as her caddie in the three events.
The Bengaluru pro had to take the Covid-19 test before leaving the country. “We will be tested on arrival at the hotel, where all the players will be staying in a bio-bubble environment,” Aditi told TOI before her departure. Excerpts:
You must be excited to be playing a tournament again…
It’s strange because I haven’t played a tournament for the last six months, which I think is the longest I have not played competitively. Ever since I was 9-10 years old, I used to play the South Zone tournaments every two months. This is going to be weird, but I am excited at the same time.
How prepared are you?
I’ve prepared as well as I could. From March to May, all golf courses and gyms were closed in India, unlike in the US and a few other countries where a majority of the players have had it normal for the last few months. I have practised as much as I could in the last month or so. Hopefully, the two months (during lockdown) of no golf hasn’t affected me much. There was only so much I could do on the terrace.
It’s a fact that I haven’t had any tournament practice or even course practice for that matter. I have been able to go on the course only in the last three-four weeks. I am just trying to stay positive and try and play my best.
You are a momentum player, the more you play the better you get. Will that be playing on your mind?
I won’t deny that, because I have been a player who has always gotten better with events. That is not something that I have right now, but still the last event I played was the NSW Open on the LET in February, where I finished fourth. I know that game is what I had with me, but I don’t know just how long it will take to get back into that swing of things. Maybe the first event back, maybe the second. I think that one month of practice is good enough to get me back to how I was in February.
With your status for 2021 on the LPGA assured, won’t that give you the confidence to play with a lot more freedom?
Definitely. And also, after the Scottish and the Women’s Open, I am not sure how long I will stay in the US. It at least gives me comfort, maybe not as much with the game but maybe more so with scheduling because I don’t have to force myself to stay there any longer than I want to. I can just play one or two events and come back. But I’m definitely playing one at Arkansas. At least that way I feel the travel plans are in my hands.
How tough were the months away from golf?
It’s been tough more in the sense that golf has always been a part of my life. I have practised and played if not every day, every other day. I have played on the course more than hitting on the range my whole life. Last six months was home quarantine and the best I had was hitting on my terrace, which was good and obviously kept me fine because when I went back to play, I wasn’t missing much. I felt like I was still swinging normally. I didn’t feel rusty with my swing, so it did help in a way. I have not even put in one-tenth of what I would do in six months. That kind of makes you feel bad as an athlete.