Malixi aims for strong start in Thai Junior World

MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi seeks to accomplish what she had failed to achieve last week, gunning for the Thailand Junior World Golf crown no less when the host country’s premier junior championship is fired off beginning Thursday at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course in Hua Hin.

Malixi is the marked player in the girls’ Class A, having dragged Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, 20, to an extra hole before bowing in the recent Thailand Amateur Open in Bangkok. The ICTSI-backed star rallied from four down in the final round but missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole and lost the crown as the Thai clinched it from five feet.

But the setback is only expected to further toughen up the two-time AJGA (American Junior Association) champion, who is also using this tournament to prime up for next week’s Women’s Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Pattaya, also in Thailand.

"Same mindset — just being patient and staying in the present will be the main keys this week," said Malixi, 15, who drew India’s Ragini Navet, Singapore’s Denise Ng and I-Ju Tsai of Taiwan at 8:03 a.m. on No. 1 of the par-72 layout, hoping to start out strong and stamp her class early in her age-group field that also features Thailand’s top junior Thapasit Thitikarn.

Unlike in last week's battle where a number of three-putt miscues marred her campaign, Malixi is bracing for a different kind of challenge on Royal Hua Hin's surface in the next four days.

"The greens are a bit slower than last week's course. But no putting concerns," she added.

Other Pinays vying in the four-day event are Julianna Go and Abby Abarcas, who are both listed in Class A, while Celine Abalos, Reese Ng and Alessandra Luciano spice up the Class B cast.

Shinichi Suzuki, who led in the second round in Thai Amateur Open but ended up fourth, banners the boys’ Class B field with Aiden Villaroman, Tristan Padilla and Patrick Tambalque while Jacob Calita, Edison Tabalin and Zachary Castro lead the chase in the premier Class A side.