Longer drives, soaring higher: Aditi Ashok's mantra for 2024

A revamped game saw her zoom to world No. 39 in 2023. Teeing off 2024 in Saudi Arabia, Aditi says she is on track to win on LPGA Tour 

- Joy Chakravarty

Aditi Ashok is coming off an incredible 2023, one in which she soared from 194th in the world ranking to finish the year at a career-best 39th. And as she starts her new season at this week's Aramco Saudi Ladies International, the Bengaluru ace is confident 2024 will be even better.

The 25-year-old narrowly managed to keep her card on the LPGA Tour in 2022 after finishing 99th in the Race to CME Globe, which led to a lot of introspection and hard work over the offseason. It all paid off spectacularly as she started 2023 with a win in Kenya, and bookended it with another win in Spain to finish fourth in the Ladies European Tour's Race to Costa Del Sol.

In between, she had a solid season on the LPGA. With just six top-10s in her first six years on the Tour, she nearly doubled that number with five top-10s during the year, including a playoff loss in the LA Open, and was 41st in the Order of Merit despite playing only 20 tournaments.

The only disappointment was the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Silver is not a colour to scoff at, but Aditi shot a 5-over 77 in the final round-her worst round of the season - to lose grasp on what seemed like a sure-shot gold for India.

Speaking to Hindustan Times ahead of the $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International, where she finished second last year against a stacked field that included superstar Lydia Ko, the eventual champion, Aditi said she needed to do something dramatic with her game for 2023 to happen.