TOKYO: India’s Aditi Ashok missed a medal narrowly as she signed off 4th in the Olympic Games golf competition after carding a three-under 68 in the weather-hit final round here on Saturday.The 23-year-old Bengalurean ended two strokes off the pace with a total of 15-under 269.It was a heartbreaking end to Aditi’s campaign considering she started the day at 2nd. But it was nonetheless a major improvement as she had finished tied 41st in the 2016 edition where golf made a comeback to the Olympics.In the final round, she fired five birdies — on the 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th and 14th holes — against two bogeys on the 9th and 11th.Overnight leader and world number one Nelly Korda clinched the gold medal with a 2-under 69 that left her 17-under overall and a shot ahead of Japan’s Mone Inami (65) and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (65).Inami and Ko competed in a play-off to decide the silver and bronze medal winners in which the former emerged triumphant.On the play-off hole (par-4 18th), Ko dropped a bogey, while Inami managed to hold on for a par in overcast and damp conditions.Play was disrupted for a while by a tropical storm after the leading pack had completed 16 holes but soon resumed at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club.Aditi was in medal contention for a major part of the day but the two bogeys pulled her back while Ko surged ahead with a sensational nine birdies against just three dropped shots in her final round.
