Flawless 65 puts Aditi Ashok in fifth place at Arkansas

A flawless six-under 65 gave Indian golfer Aditi Ashok a flying start in the first round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship here.

The 23-year-old Indian had six birdies and no bogeys as she was two shots behind the leading trio of A Lim Kim, Katherine Kirk and Eun-Hee Ji, who all recorded 8-under 63s to sit atop the leaderboard.

Aditi has been looking for a couple of solid finishes to ensure a move up from her current position of 87th on the Tour.

She started from the 10th and twice had back-to-back birdies on 15th and 16th and again on first and second. Her other birdies came on seventh and ninth.

Kim’s 63 is her career-best score, while Ji tied her low mark, which she last recorded in the first round of the Honda LPGA Thailand. Kirk’s round is her lowest since a 62 at the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Kirk has played in every edition of the tournament since its inception.

One stroke behind the leaders was Sarah Burnham after she recorded a career-low 7-under 64, thanks to seven birdies on the day to sit in solo fourth.

Four players were tied for fifth at six-under, including Aditi, the 2021 Tour winners Nasa Hataoka and Pajaree Anannarukarn. Also tied-fifth were Lindsay Weaver and Klara Spilkova.

Hataoka aced No. 11 from 135 yards, pushing her up the leaderboard, while Anannarukarn rebounded from a triple bogey on No. 6 with a chip-in eagle on No. 7.