Aditi holds nerve to win title

Abu Dhabi, Aditi Ashok made a triumphant return to the Ladies European Tour by clinching the Fatima Bin Mubarak Ladies Open after surviving a few anxious moments in the closing stages. The 19-year-old sent a warning to her competitors ahead of the Hero Indian Open, where she will defend her title next week.
It is Aditi’s third LET win in less than 12 months.
India’s other player, Vani Kapoor (70), finished in a tie for 57th.
Aditi, who won the Hero Indian Open and Qatar Ladies Open last year, survived a late scare when she double-bogeyed the par-3 17th. But she held her nerve to par the 18th for a one-shot win over Georgia Hall (66).
Aditi, who started the day at 15-under and led American Cheyenne Woods by two shots, bogeyed the fourth, but six birdies between the fifth and 15th holes saw her open up a big gap over her rivals.
While Woods fell behind, Georgia Hall and Camilla Lennarth made a strong bid.
Aditi was 20-under when she came to the 17th tee, leading Georgia by three. She four-putted at the 17th, reducing her lead to just one stroke.
The Englishwoman made a par on the difficult 18th to finish at 17-under. Aditi then stepped up to make her own par under extreme pressure, playing a perfect approach shot up to the green over water on the closing hole.
Explaining her aberration on the 17th, Aditi said: “It wasn’t really nerves, I think I just lapsed for a bit and made a four-putt. I was playing okay all day, but didn’t make as many birdie putts as I wanted to. I’m just glad I came out on top.”
“I had my game plan and wasn’t too aggressive. I just kept giving myself birdie putts and that was the plan on 17 as well. I don’t know how I ended up four-putting. And I did the same on 18, gave myself a birdie putt and it didn’t go in, so I guess that was the story of my putting today, but the birdies in the middle helped.”
With rounds of 67, 66, 68 and 69, and a winning score of 18-under, Aditi took home a first prize cheque for ^70,788.