Aditi Ashok put herself in a perfect position to make a bid for her first Top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour as she shot a second straight three-under 68 in the Meijer LPGA Classic on Friday.
Aditi is now six-under through 36 holes and tied-14th but six shots behind a solid Brooke Henderson, who after rounds of 63 and 67 is 12-under and in the lead. The 19-year old Bengalurean best ever finish on the LPGA Tour has been tied-42nd at the ANA Inspirational earlier this year.
The Indian, who was the Rookie of the Year on the Ladies European Tour after wins on the Women’s Indian Open and Qatar Ladies Open, has been finding her feet slowly but steadily on the world’s biggest golf tour for women.
Starting on the 10th, she grabbed a birdie on the par- five 11th and then played 10 straight pars before getting her second birdie on the par-three fourth. A bogey on the sixth hole pushed her back, but she closed strongly with birdies on eighth and ninth to finish day two with another 68.
Carlota Ciganda shot the round of the day, a bogey-free 7-under-par 64. Ciganda, a two-time LPGA Tour winner, is at 10-under and tied for second with Lexi Thompson and Mi Jung Hur.
Thompson made three bogeys Friday but still made six birdies in her 3-under-par 68. Moriya Jutanugarn whose sister Ariya made headlines earlier in the week as she ascended to No.1 in the Rolex Rankings, is a shot further back at nine-under par.