Rianne Malixi binged early before coasting along to a five-under 67, sharing top honors with Kelly Xu of the United States in the 18-hole US Women’s Amateur Qualifying Tournament at the Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai, California Monday.
She thus gained a spot in the tournament proper slated 7 to 13 August along with Malaysian Jeneath Wong and American Kellie Vongsaga, who both had 69s; and Hong Kong’s Arianne Lau and US’ Caroline Canales, who carded identical 70s.
Another Filipina bidder, Alethea Gaccion, failed to advance after a 72.
They will join the other top finishers from various Qualifying sites for the US Amateurs slated at the Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles, California.
A full-packed field of 156 will be slugging it out for the Top 64 spots in the 36-hole stroke play eliminations before competitions shift to match play.
The ICTSI-backed Malixi unleashed a birdie spree right after she missed chances inside 10 feet on the first two holes and holed in a five-footer on the par-3 third hole. She then dominated the back-to-back par-5s from No. 4 and knocked down a pair of four-footers.
Her confidence building, she rolled in a 16-foot putt on the par-3 sixth, banged in an eight-footer on the next and drained another five-footer on No. 8.
After back-to-back regulation pars, the 16-year-old national golfer dumped her approach shot on the right greenside bunker of No. 17 and blasted way past the hole.
However, a three-putt miscue on the ninth stalled her birdie-run as her putt from way out suddenly stopped on a sloping surface, and her second putt from around 14 feet veered to the right at the finish.
She slowed down at the back, missing a couple of birdie chances from short range, including a four-footer on the par-5 No. 11, but rescuing three pars after missing the 12th, 13th and 14th greens as the wind picked up a in the closing holes.
After back-to-back regulation pars, the 16-year-old national golfer dumped her approach shot on the right greenside bunker of No. 17 and blasted way past the hole.
She missed the putt for another bogey but quickly recovered the stroke with a two-foot birdie putt on the closing par-5 hole to fashion out a 31-36 round.
Xu matched Malixi’s five-under card to share the honors.
Malixi, who reached the first round of her recent head-to-head campaign in the British Women’s Amateur, will first play for the country in the IMG Junior World starting 11 July at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.
