12 February,2023 01:27 PM IST | Rabat | PTI
Aditi Ashok/Instagram
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok gave it all but just could not find the magic with the putter as she managed 1-under 72 in the third and final round to finish a creditable third in the Lalla Meryem Cup here.
Aditi, who began the final round at 6-under, finished at 7-under, a week after winning the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
Starting two shots behind the leader, Sweden's Maja Stark, who was in fine form despite one bogey on either side of the course.
Stark shot 4-under for a total of 12-under and won by four shots over another Swede Linn Grant (68).
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It was Stark's sixth Ladies European Tour (LET) title.
The consolation for Aditi was that she still leads the way in the 2023 Race to Costa Del Sol (Order of Merit). She received 230 points to take her overall tally to 730.
Stark picked up 500 points this week to be second.
Also read: Aditi Ashok two shots behind leader, aims for second title in 2 weeks
The drama started right at the beginning as Aditi birdied the opening hole to draw level with Stark after the Swede made a bogey.
But Stark recovered fast and then took control on the front nine. She came back with birdies two, five, and nine to move ahead of Aditi.
On the back nine Grant, who started the day five shots adrift, carded birdies on 12, 14 and 15 after going out in 34 (-3) to close the gap to two.
Stark responded with a birdie of her own on 14, before Grant's momentum ended after she bogeyed the par-4 16th for a third consecutive day.
Three shots clear of Aditi and Grant with four holes to play, the 23-year-old Stark then stayed composed. She birdied 17th before closing out the win with an excellent par save on 18 to finish on -12.
Stark started the year on the LPGA with a tied second finish at the LPGA Tour's Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Championship last month.
A final round 69 saw Switzerland's Albane Valenzuela finish fourth on -6. Czechia's Jana Melichova and Spain's Ana Pelaez Trivino finished in a tie for fifth.
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