Paris Olympics women’s golf from Wednesday, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar have early starts

Aditi Ashok tuned up for the women’s Olympic golf competition at the Portland Classic which ended on Sunday in Oregon and will tee off at Le Golf National on Wednesday alongside Gaby Lopez of Mexico), and Germany’s Esther Henseleit in the morning wave two flights ahead of defending champion Nelly Korda of the US.

India’s second entrant in the competition, Diksha Dagar too has an early tee off on the first day of competition and will play her first shot in a flight also containing Wei-Ling Hsu of Chinese Taipei, and Emma Spitz of Austria.

While Aditi gets under way at 9.220 am local time (12.52 pm IST), Diksha’s group is scheduled for a 10.55 am (2.25 pm) start as per the tee times announced. The duo will be hoping to improve on the lacklustre display by the men’s squad of Shubhankar Sharma (T40) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (T45) last week.

The India star, who is an LPGA regular was a fourth place finisher in the thrilling Tokyo finale where she went down to New Zealand’s Lydia Ko in the bronze medal playoff. Last year, the 26-year-old won silver at the Hangzhou Asian

Games and on Wednesday will open in her fifth tournament in as many weeks. 

Perrine Delacour of France will hit the opening tee shot at 9 am local time (12.30 pm IST)  on Wednesday.
In other groups that will draw plenty of spectator interest, Tokyo gold medallist Korda plays the first two rounds in the company of South Korea’s Jin Young Ko and China’s Ruoning Yin, with all three being major championship winners and are all in the top five of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

In the wake of Frenchman Victor Perez’s fourth-place finish at Guyancourt on Sunday built on a storming 8 under par 63 only bettered by gold medal winner Scottie Scheffler of the USA, Celine Boutier’s fortunes will be closely followed by the enthusiastic crowds that thronged Le Golf National last week.

Korda’s US teammate Rose Zhang will open alongside Hannah Green of Australia and Britain’s Charley Hull while Boutier has been drawn with world no. 2 Lilia Vu of the US and South Korea’s Amy Yang, making another group that has all three winners of major titles.

Thirteen of the top 15 in the women’s world rankings are in action at Le Golf National, as the French Open and 2018 Ryder Cup venue hosts a major women’s competition for the first time, the Paris Games website said.

Round 1 and two tee times

9 am Wednesday/10:55 am Thursday: Perrine Delacour (France), Stephanie Meadow (Ireland), Manon De Roey (Belgium)

9:11 am Wednesday/11:06 am Thursday: Peiyun Chien (Chinese Taipei), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark), Anne Van Dam (Netherlands)

9:22 am Wednesday/11:17 am Thursday: Aditi Ashok (India), Gaby Lopez (Mexico), Esther Henseleit (Germany)

9:33 am Wednesday /11:33 am Thursday: Shannon Tan (Singapore), Maria Fassi (Mexico), Celine Borge (Norway)

9:44 am Wednesday/11:44 am Thursday: Hannah Green (Australia), Charley Hull (Great Britain), Rose Zhang (USA)

9:55 am Wednesday/11:55 am Thursday: Nelly Korda (USA), Jin Young Ko (Korea), Ruoning Yin (China)

10:11 am Wednesday/Thursday 12:06 pm: Hyojoo Kim (Korea), Brooke M. Henderson (Canada), Xiyu Lin (China)

10:22 am Wednesday/12:17 pm Thursday: Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand), Linn Grant (Sweden), Carlota Ciganda (Spain)

10:33 am Wednesday/12:28 p.m. Thursday: Alessandra Fanali (Italy), Ashley Lau (Malaysia), Ursula Wikstrom (Finland)

10:44 am Wednesday/Thursday 12:39 pm: Dottie Ardina (Philippines), Noora Komulainen (Finland), Madelene Stavnar (Norway)

10:55 am Wednesday/9 am Thursday: Wei-Ling Hsu (Chinese Taipei), Diksha Dagar (India), Emma Spitz (Austria)

11:06 am Wednesday/9:11 am Thursday: Azahara Munoz (Spain), Bianca Pagdanganan (Philippines), Morgane Metraux (Switzerland)

11:17 am Wednesday/9:22 am Thursday: Alexandra Forsterling (Germany), Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland), Emily K. Pedersen (Denmark)

11:33 am Wednesday/9:33 am Thursday: Klara Davidson Spilkova (Czech Republic), Paula Reto (South Africa), Mariajo Uribe (Colombia)

11:44 am Wednesday/9:44 am Thursday: Yuka Saso (Japan), Minjee Lee (Australia), Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand)

11:55 am Wednesday/9:55 am Thursday: Celine Boutier (France), Lilia Vu (USA), Amy Yang (Korea)

12:06 pm Wednesday/10:11 am Thursday: Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Miyu Yamashita (Japan), Maja Stark (Sweden)

12:17 pm Wednesday/10:22 am Thursday: Leona Maguire (Ireland), Georgia Hall (Great Britain), Ashleigh Buhai (South Africa)

12:28 pm Wednesday/10:33 am Thursday: Ana Belac (Slovenia), Sara Kouskova (Czech Republic), Alena Sharp (Canada)

12:39 pm Wednesday/10:44 am Thursday: Ines Laklalech (Morocco), Sarah Schober (Austria), Pia Babnik (Slovenia)