On account of her impressive performances recently, Filipino Rianne Malixi zoomed 20 paces up the World rankings to 75th.
And things are about to go higher for the country’s golf hotshot.
She’s looking forward to rising further in rankings when she competes in the U.S. Women’s Amateurs at Bel-Air Club in Los Angeles on 7-13 August.
The 16-year-old Malixi was eyeing to break into the top 50 but she absorbed a one-hole defeat at the hands of American Kiara Romero during last week’s US Girls Junior final in Colorado Springs.
Romero was even deeper in the rankings before that victory, standing at No. 139 before the 17-year-old catapulted to No. 78.
Still, it was an exceptional effort for Malixi who had two third-place finishes and another pair of No. 4 outcomes before that.
Malixi, backed by ICTSI, is also tapped to represent the Philippines in Asian Games in China in September and in the World Amateur Team Championships in Dubai in October.
Meanwhile, with Swede world No. 1 Ingrid Lindblad opting to skip the US Women’s Amateur, No. 2 and defending champion Saki Baba from Japan heads the talent-laden field.
Also seeing action are England’s Jess Baker, Canada’s Lauren Kim and Vanessa Zhang, Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau, Thai Thanana Kotchasanmannee, Taiwanese Hsin Chun Liao, and Americans Amari Avery, Jensen Castle, Gianna Clemente, Megha Ganne, Rachel Kuehn and Bailey Shoemaker.
Sharing the same format as the US Girls’ Junior, the US Women’s Amateur field will fight it out in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying with the Top 64 advancing to the match play phase.
