Aditi Ashok, 17 years old from Bangalore, India, cruised to a five-stroke victory from Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey in the Ladies British open amateur stroke-play championship at Moortown Golf Club, Leeds.

Aditi Ashok, 17 years old from Bangalore, India, cruised to a five-stroke victory in the Ladies British open amateur stroke-play championship at Moortown Golf Club, Leeds.

She is one of the youngest ever winners of this title and this would rank as the biggest win so far for the talented Indian girl who has already won the St Rule Trophy over the St Andrews Old and New Courses this year and finished second in the European Women’s Amateur Championship.

A place at an American college next year is her ambition and she looks certain to win tournaments on the US college circuit. After that .. who knows? She has the all-round game to become a successful tour pro, but all that is in the future. For the moment, Aditi and her parents who travel round the world with her to tournaments, deserve to bask in the glory of this emphatic win.

Ashok shot rounds of 71, 73, 70 and 71 over a tough, par 74 Yorkshire moorland course. Under no pressure after establishing a four-stroke lead over the first 54 holes, Aditi could afford to relax a bit and have fun on the final circuit which she did with one eagle (at the 16th), five birdies and four bogeys in halves of 37-34. She also picked up the Dinwiddy Trophy for the lowest score for an Under 18.

Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies), already a GB and I international at the age of 17 dropped only one shot in her final round – at the 14th, but had birdies a the second, ninth, 12th and 16th in halves of 36 and 35. Mehaffey lifted the Holden Trophy for coming runner up and the Duncan Salver for the lowest score from an Under 23 player. Sweden’s Linn Andersson from Barseback, finished third on 294, four strokes behind Mehaffey.

Ireland’s Jessica Ross from Donaghadee shot the low round of the tournament a six-under-par 68 which helped her to finish joint fourth on 295 alongside defending champion Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough).

For full results visit www.lgu.org