Tokyo 2020: Aditi Ashok show continues for the third day

Aditi Ashok was 12-under 201 after three rounds and is the sole golfer in the second position, three strokes adrift of leader Nelly Korda of the USA.

Aditi Ashok, of India, hits a tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the women's golf event. (AP)

It all depends on the weather now. India’s Aditi Ashok is poised to win a medal at the end of the third and penultimate round of the women’s golf at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Friday.

She finished 12-under 201, three shots below leader Nelly Korda of the USA who is 15-under 198. Aditi is two rounds ahead of four – Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Hannah Green of Australia, Emily Pedersen of Denmark and hosts Imami Mone of the hosts Japan – who are tied 10-under 203.

On Wednesday Aditi finished the first round at 4-under 67 and in the second round on Thursday she was 5-under 76 and on Friday she had a score of 3-under 68.

If the weather comes to play and the fourth round is called off, Aditi stands to win the silver medal. However, the organisers are also pushing for a 6.30 am local time one hour ahead of the first rounds.

Even if play continues, Aditi will still be a favourite to climb the Olympic podium.The inclement weather had played spoilsport last week in the Tokyo Olympics too and some of the events in rowing, sailing, marathon swimming were rescheduled.

Aditi whose mother Maheshwari doubles as caddie here had two bogeys one each in the front and back nines and six birdies in all the 18 holes and is clearly in the hunt for a medal.

In the 2016 Rio Games, at 18 then, the Bengaluru golfer finished 41st among 60 competitors and her father Ashok Gudlamani doubled as a caddie.

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Aditi’s compatriot Diksha Dagar is tied 51st place with three others with a score of 7-over 220.