Aditi Ashok, born on March 29, 1998, in Bengaluru, India, made history as the first Indian woman golfer to qualify for the Olympics, participating in the 2016 Rio Games at the age of 18. She was also the youngest golfer in the field during that event.In Rio, Aditi started impressively, shooting back-to-back rounds of 68, placing her four shots off the 36-hole lead. However, she concluded the tournament tied for 41st out of 60 participants.
Following her Olympic debut, Aditi’s career gained momentum. In October 2016, she secured her first Ladies European Tour (LET) title by winning the Hero Women’s Indian Open, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat. She continued her success by clinching the Qatar Ladies Open two weeks later, finishing the season second on the Order of Merit and earning the Rookie of the Year award.
Aditi’s participation in the Rio Olympics significantly boosted the profile of golf in India, leading to increased interest and participation in the sport.
She continued to represent India in subsequent Olympics, finishing fourth in the women’s individual stroke play event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, narrowly missing out on a medal.
Aditi Ashok’s journey from a young golfer in Bengaluru to an Olympic athlete has been instrumental in popularizing golf in India and inspiring future generations of golfers.
