Aditi Ashok added another noteworthy fourth-place finish to India’s history at the Olympics, as the underdog world No 200 finished just outside medal contention in women’s golf at Tokyo 2020 on Saturday.
The 23-year-old, playing her second straight Olympics, had punched above her weight to remain in the top three for the bulk of the four-day competition in Tokyo, but a narrow miss means she ended two strokes off the pace with a total of 15-under 269.
Tokyo 2020, golf: India’s Aditi Ashok finishes a valiant fourth after thrilling finale
On the final day, she carded a three-under 68 in the weather-hit final round, which would have been enough had two other golfers not carded an incredible six-under. In the final round, she fired five birdies – on the 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th and 14th holes – against two bogeys on the 9th and 11th.
Overnight leader and world number one Nelly Korda clinched the gold medal with a 2-under 69 that left her 17-under overall and a shot ahead of Japan’s Mone Inami (65) and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (65). Inami and Ko competed in a play-off to decide the silver and bronze medal winners in which the former emerged triumphant.
This birdie showed us how @aditigolf - the world no. 200 went toe-to-toe with the champions till the last shot and finished fourth. 🙌🙌🙌#Tokyo2020 | #StrongerTogether | #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/Ga9G6arg3E
— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 7, 2021
Excellent composure & perseverance shown by @aditigolf throughout the last 4 days. Ranked 200th at the start of #Tokyo2020 to finishing fourth at the #Olympics, an absolutely incredible performance!You have made the whole country proud today! I’m a fan for life !
— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 7, 2021
Not a nice thing to be a member of this club #Golf #4thposition #Olympics @aditigolf you will be remembered forever for this effort in #TokyoOlympics till you come back in #Paris2024 #thankyou #TeamIndia
— Joydeep Karmakar OLY (@Joydeep709) August 7, 2021
Proud to see how the performance of all our🇮🇳athletes especially women athletes has brought the entire nation together,looking at them,supporting,encouraging & BELIEVING with them.
— Aditi Chauhan GK 🇮🇳 (@aditi03chauhan) August 7, 2021
Power of Sports! Power of Women!
#TeamIndia #PVSindhu #MirabaiChanu #hockeyindia #AditiAshok https://t.co/x5Id57D5Wl
Congrats @aditigolf while I know the pain of finishing 4th, what you did the last four days playing against the best in the business is nothing short of spectacular . I am a fan for life .. 👏👏👏 #RuknaNahiHai #olympics
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) August 7, 2021
Thank you Aditi!
— Shikha Pandey (@shikhashauny) August 7, 2021
@aditigolf you did everything you could and put it all out there. There may not be a medal to show but people in India will know the sport we love thanks to your effort and heart. Great performance 👏🏻 Let’s see some public courses and driving ranges please. The kids need it.
— Anirban Lahiri (@anirbangolf) August 7, 2021
Miss that medal by mm on 17th hole..Well done Aditi! You have joined the special group of people of 4th finishes!! Well, still feels for u!! Such a narrow miss...#Golf #Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia
— Kavita Choudhary (@4holidaymaniacs) August 7, 2021
Heartbreak. What a performance @aditigolf . You have taken Golf into every Indian household today. Something that had never been achieved before.
— Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) August 7, 2021
This is the best ever Indian performance in the Olympics.
— Hari Priya CR (@cr_hariPriya) August 7, 2021
Ranked 200 in the world, finish 4th in the biggest event of the sport, #AditiAshok you are a gem 💎#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/9C61GbCjrd
#AditiAshok finishes 4th, misses out on a medal. But history will remember it as one of India's cherished 4th-places finishes at the Olympics, like Bindra's and Dipa's. #Golf #Tokyo2020 #Olympics
— Jaspreet Singh Sahni (@JaspreetSSahni) August 7, 2021
Incredible, Aditi. You made a billion watch Golf. A true champion. ❤️ https://t.co/7MTxqvH2YR
— West Block Blues (@WestBlockBlues) August 7, 2021
Making a cricket-crazy country wake up early on a weekend to bite their nails while watching golf. 🏌️♂️
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 7, 2021
Take a bow, Aditi Ashok. What a performance! 💗#Tokyo2020 @aditigolf pic.twitter.com/a2PiN6IvvR
Aditi 💔
— Suprita Das (@MissDasTweets) August 7, 2021
So so so close - wow! And had so many people, many of who are golf novices, google up and wake up and watch!
The pain of a 4th place finish at the Olympics is just... #TeamIndia #AditiAshok #aditi
Going to go out on a limb here, but (recency bias aside), this is probably the best 4th place finish for India at the Olympics!
— Aman Shah (@aman812) August 7, 2021
Comes in with a World rank of 200 and narrowly misses out on Bronze! Tremendous performance by @aditigolf
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) August 7, 2021
Was amazing to see on my TL so many, who don’t understand golf, like me, following every move made by Aditi Ashok while scrambling whatever little they could of the rules & regulations. Will miss this collective sigh of disbelief/ecstasy from tomorrow.
— Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) August 7, 2021