Amateur Rianne Mikhaela Malixi has the game good enough to beat the country’s top professionals, but the 15-year-old is not about to be lured into joining the play-for-money circuit.
“Rianne is determined to go to college,” said father Roy who is managing her career.
“We have received a lot of feelers from top colleges in the United States but we are not allowed to communicate until July next year.”
Malixi is two years away from finishing high school and has been successful in dividing her time between golf and education.
Next week, Malixi will fly to Thailand where she is set to compete in three major tournaments beginning with the 88th Singha Thailand Amateur Open from 18 to 21 October at the Penya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok.
After which, she will lead the country’s campaign for the Thailand Singha Junior World golf championship set for 27 to 31 October at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Club.
Fresh from topping the ICTSI Riviera Championship, her fourth Ladies Professional Golf Tour in as many tries, Malixi is among the favorites in the girls’ Class A division.
Two other Filipinas are entered in the 12-player field — Sophia Abigail Abarcas and Julianna Kristine Go.
A total of 22 Filipinos are seeing action in eight divisions.
Competing in the boys’ Class A are Edison Tabalin, Jacob Cajita, and Zachary Castro.
Entered in boys’ Class B are Shinichi Suzuki, Tristan Jefferson Padilla, Patrick Gene Tambalque, and Zach Villaroman.
David James Teves and Geoffrey Drew Tan will compete in Class C while Ryuji Suzuki, Jared Saban, and Vito Sarines are the country’s entries in Class D.
The other Philippine entries in the girls’ division are:
Class B — Reese Allyson Ng, Celine Marie Abalos, and Alessandra Luciano;
Class C — Francesca Nicole Gan, Mona Sarines and Lisa Sarines;
Class D — Brittany Pauline Tamayo.
The list of entries was provided by the Thailand Golf Association.
Aside from the Philippines and host Thailand, the other nations joining are Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Oman, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal and France.
Malixi looms as the country’s best bet along with Suzuki and Ng.
Before the Thailand Singha Junior World, Malixi will see action Thailand.
She is also set to compete in the Women’s Asia Pacific Amateur Championship from 3 to 6 November at the Siam Country Club in Chon Buri, Thailand.
Meanwhile, the Sarines trio will join a warmup event — the Thailand Golf Association-Central Region circuit tournament starting Saturday at Royal Hua Hin.
