Aditi Ashok finishes tied third in Blue Bay LPGA

Hainan Island (China), Mar 8 (PTI) Aditi Ashok dropped three bogeys in a row in the middle of the round but still managed to hold on for an even par 72 that helped her finish tied-third in the Blue Bay LPGA here.

Aditi birdied the third but gave away shots on the seventh, eighth and the ninth before picking up strokes on the 15th and the 18th.

The Indian golfer’s 72 saw her reach 8-under for four rounds and she finished three shots behind the winner, Mi Hyang Lee (73) of Korea.

This was Aditi’s best finish since her T2 at the JM Eagle LA Championship in 2023.

Mi Hyang Lee overcame a strange front nine, which included two double bogeys, to secure her first LPGA Tour title in over eight years.

With a narrow one-stroke victory over Weiwei Zhang, Lee became only the second Korean to win the Blue Bay LPGA, joining 2015 champion Sei Young Kim.

The victory marks the 32-year-old's third career LPGA Tour title and her first since the 2017 ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open.

Lee carded a final-round 1-over 73 at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course for an 11-under 277 total, finishing just ahead of People's Republic of China's Zhang.

Earlier Aditi, 27, carded a third round of 2-under 70 to move into T-4.

It was a rollercoaster final day for Lee. She entered the final round with a three-shot lead, but saw her lead dwindle with a rocky front nine.

After a birdie early the momentum stalled following a bogey at the second.

The up-and-down nature of her round continued with a double bogey on the par-4 5th, a bogey on the par-3 7th, and another double bogey on the par-4 9th hole.

By the turn, Lee had dropped to 8-under-par and found herself chasing Zhang.

The veteran quickly found her rhythm on the back nine, carding birdies at the 10th and 13th to stay within striking distance. The momentum shifted when Zhang stumbled with a bogey at the 17th hole.

Lee capitalized, sealing the victory with a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to clinch the title.

Rounding out the top-five, defending champion Rio Takeda finished at 8-under-par in a four-way tie for fifth with Hye-Jin Choi, Yu Liu and A Lim Kim. PTI Corr UNG