Aditi Ashok makes a fine start at Sime Darby LPGA

Aditi Ashok flying half way across the world to return to the tournament, where she played her first LPGA tournament last year, the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia had a fine start, which she unfortunately frittered away on the second nine.

Aditi, who has been logging a lot of miles, carded a first round of even par 71 and was lying T-30 alongside World No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand in the US $ 2 million event.

The week before last, Aditi played and finished Tied-eighth at the Xiamen International in China for her fourth Top-10 finish in a row on the Ladies European Tour. 

She then flew to Florida to play the second stage of the LPGA Qualifying, from where successfully earned a berth into the final stage to be held in December. 

Soon after she boarded another flight enroute back to Asia for Sime Darby in Kuala Lumpur.

But the cheery 18-year-old Bengaluru golfer has been taking it all in the stride as she looks to make a place for herself in the elite of the game. 

She started her round with a birdie, but gave it away on the third. Back-to-back birdies on eighth and ninth saw her turn in one-under and things looked with two par-5s on the back nine. 

However, she dropped a shot on 11th and then double bogeyed par-4 13th and failed to birdie either of the two par-5s.

Meanwhile, a bogey free round saw Amy Yang card an 8-under par 63 to finish top of the leader-board after the first round. 

The South Korean, who is yet to register a win on the LPGA Tour this year, is two strokes ahead of Marina Alex, who is in second place at 6-under par 65.

Alex was accompanied in her group by Michelle Wie, who is one shot behind her, and tied in third place at 5-under par alongside Mo Martin, Feng Shanshan, Jenny Shin, Suzann Pettersen and Azahara Munoz.

Wie has experienced a difficult season thus far, but has shown signs of an upward turn after finishing in an encouraging tenth place at the recent Blue Bay LPGA last week.