Tokyo Olympics: Golfer Aditi Ashok Misses Medal By A Whisker, Finishes 4th In Women's Individual Stroke Play

Aditi Ashok narrowly missed out on becoming the first Indian golfer to win a medal at the Olympics, finishing fourth in Tokyo on Saturday. She was in medal contention for much of the four rounds but fell agonisingly short, finishing a shot behind Japan's Mone Inami and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who were tied for the silver medal and went into a playoff. Inami won the playoff to clinch silver while Lydia settled with a bronze. She finished only two shots behind the gold medal winner Nelly Korda of USA. Aditi finished with a score of 269 with 15-under par to finish fourth overall after four rounds in the women's individual stroke play event.

"I think it's good, just even top 5 or top 10 at an Olympics is really good. Because you know that sport or that person has a medal chance. So just having more top finishes, even if it's not exactly a podium finish, will maybe bring eyes to the sport and more support, more kids pick up more, whatever, that helps grow the game," Aditi Ashok said after the culmination of her event.

"When I started golf I never dreamt of being or contending at the Olympics, golf wasn't even an Olympic sport. So sometimes you just pick it up and work hard and have fun every day and sometimes you get here," she added.

Aditi had a stellar run throughout the women's individual stroke play event. In Round 1, she shot four-under 67 to finish second along with USA's world number one Nelly Korda. Sweden's Madalene Sagstrom was in the lead after the opening round, scoring five-under 66.

In the second round, Aditi managed to score five-under 66 to keep her second place intact. Sagstrom fell behind with a three-under finish while Korda finished Round 2 with nine-under to take the lead.

Aditi, ranked 200, continued her fine form and registered a three-under 68 to stay in medal contention after the completion of Round three in the women's golf event at the Tokyo Olympics.

At the last Olympic Games in Rio, Aditi was a teenager and she had finished 41 in the women's individual event.