Aditi Ashok opens up with 1-under at ANA Inspiration golf Tournament

Photo: PTI

Rancho Mirage: India's Aditi Ashok, playing the seventh Major of her fledgling career, opened with a 1-under 71 to be tied-36th after the first round of the ANA Inspiration golf tournament.

Aditi had two birdies against one bogey, all on the front nine. She bogeyed the third but birdied the eighth and ninth and parred the entire back nine. Pernilla Lindberg, a 31-year-old, who has never won an LPGA event, grabbed the first-round lead with a seven-under par 65 in the first Major of 2018.

One stroke back with rounds of 66 are Ayako Uehara, a 34-year-old from Japan, who has also never won on the LPGA, and Beatriz Recari, a 30-year-old Spaniard. Two strokes off the lead is Albane Valenzuela, a 20-year-old amateur from Switzerland who plays at Stanford University; Jessica Korda and Ha Na Jang.

At four-under par is a star-studded group that includes Lexi Thompson, 40-year-old Cristie Kerr, a two-time major winner, Sung Hyun Park, last year’s Rolex Rookie of the Year and Co-Player of the Year; former U.S. Women's Open champion In Gee Chun, Chella Choi and Brittany Altomare.