{"id":15364,"date":"2023-02-02T19:04:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T17:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ladiesingolf.com\/?p=15364"},"modified":"2023-02-02T19:09:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T17:09:20","slug":"ashok-leads-after-day-one-at-magical-kenya-ladies-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ladiesingolf.com\/en\/ashok-leads-after-day-one-at-magical-kenya-ladies-open\/","title":{"rendered":"ASHOK LEADS AFTER DAY ONE AT MAGICAL KENYA LADIES OPEN"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photos: Tristan Jones\/LET<\/p>\n

Aditi Ashok fired an opening round of 67 (-6) to hold a four-stroke lead after the first day of action at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 24-year-old made the most of the windy afternoon conditions to put herself at the top of the leaderboard at Vipingo Ridge.<\/p>\n

An eagle, six birdies and two bogeys propelled the Indian star to top spot as she made light work of the Baobab Course.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great day,\u201d said the three-time LET winner. \u201cI made a lot of putts. I had a lot of birdie chances, but I converted them too, which is good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI missed a two-footer on one hole but apart from that, I think played well all day. I hit some really great shots, I hit a couple of hybrids inside five feet which is better than you expect. Hopefully I can carry that momentum into the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying in the wind is generally something I\u2019m not used to so I maybe I went with the wrong club or went at some pins that I maybe shouldn\u2019t have. I will maybe focus on that and play conservative a few times when the shot doesn\u2019t suit my eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashok had a good time in Kenya back in 2019 when she finished in second place at Vipingo Ridge, just one shot behind eventual winner Esther Henseleit.<\/p>\n

The two-time Olympian is trying to feed off the happy memories that she has around the course and all the birdies she made.<\/p>\n

She explained: \u201cI just focus on the positive that I made a lot of birdies last time when I played here and I will try to do the same even though I feel like the conditions are a bit tougher.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s windier and the greens are firm so it\u2019s hard to get the ball close, I still try and feed off those memories of making birdies three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seven players sit in a share of second place on the leaderboard after carding rounds of 71 (-2) on the first day in Kenya.<\/p>\n

Italy\u2019s Virginia Elena Carta, Spain\u2019s Ana Pel\u00e1ez Trivino<\/a> and Scotland\u2019s Kylie went out in the morning groups, while\"\" Sweden\u2019s Isabella Deilert, Spain\u2019s Marta Sanz Barrio, England\u2019s Alice Hewson and Thailand\u2019s April Angurasaranee were in the afternoon tee times.<\/p>\n

It was a solid start for Italy\u2019s Carta who had two birdies and two double bogeys on her front nine but fought back with four birdies on her back nine for a round of two-under.<\/p>\n

Carta said: \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to start the season. A little bit of a rusty start I think on the front nine, I was still figuring myself out for 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany mistakes due to uncertainties whether that was the wind, the club to use, the bounces or even myself with what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cA rusty start but obviously I fought a lot and came out with a good second nine holes at four-under which really made my round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pel\u00e1ez Trivino, who finished fifth in the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, rolled in four birdies in her first four holes before making a birdie, bogey and double bogey in her final four holes for her 71 but she is focusing on the positives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a really good start to the season, first tournament of the year after a while,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m happy overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, I wish I had finished in a different way but I\u2019m not even going to care about the two shots. I am going to take the positives from the round and fight for the win this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three players are in a tie for ninth place with Sweden\u2019s Sara Kjellker alongside Danish duo Amalie Leth-Nissen and Smilla Tarning Soenderby on one-under-par.<\/p>\n

Sweden\u2019s Lisa Pettersson had an excellent highlight in her first round of the new season as she recorded her first-ever hole-in-one on the par-three eighth.<\/p>\n

The second round begins at 8am local time and there will be a cut to the top-60 professionals and ties at the end of day two.<\/p>\n

LeaderBoard\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photos: Tristan Jones\/LET Aditi Ashok fired an opening round of 67 (-6) to hold a four-stroke lead after the first day of action at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open. The 24-year-old made the most of the windy afternoon conditions to put herself at the top of the leaderboard at Vipingo Ridge. An eagle, six birdies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[]},"categories":[45,893,864,881],"tags":[506,1638,3406,917,3034],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t