Malixi struggles, trails leaders by eight at Augusta
MANILA, Philippines — Rianne Malixi turned a promising start into a frustrating finish, ending up with a one-over 73 to fall eight strokes off the lead after the opening round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).
It was far from the kind of opening the rising Filipina star had envisioned.
Coming into the tournament brimming with confidence, Malixi appeared poised to mount an early charge. She opened with two steady pars before notching a birdie on the par-5 third hole — an ideal springboard for momentum. But instead of building on that spark, her round settled into a grind.
A stretch of nine consecutive pars followed, highlighting both her consistency and missed opportunities, as several birdie chances slipped away. She then bogeyed the 13th and though she steadied herself with four straight pars, another bogey on the closing par-5 18th left her with a 35-38 card and in a tie for 40th place.
The timing of her struggles proved costly, as the elite field took full advantage of the par-72 layout, turning it into a scoring haven.
Colombia’s Maria Jose Marin and Korea’s Soomin Oh surged to the top with identical bogey-free 65s, while Canada’s Vanessa Borovilos fired a spotless 66 to stay within one shot of the lead.
American standout Asterisk Talley, whom Malixi bested in both the US Girls’ Junior and US Women’s Amateur in 2024, also made a strong statement, eagling the 18th for a share of third at 66.
Malixi’s position leaves her with significant ground to make up in Thursday’s second round, also set at Champions Retreat. With only the top 30 and ties advancing to the final round at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club, the Duke University freshman will need to produce a low round to keep her campaign alive.
The setback is particularly disappointing given her strong lead-up to the tournament. Malixi captured her first collegiate title at the Sea Best Intercollegiate in Florida earlier this year and followed it up with a joint third-place finish at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in New Zealand — results that underscored her readiness to contend on the global stage.
However, Augusta’s unforgiving nature and the depth of the field leave little margin for error. For Malixi, the challenge now shifts from maintaining momentum to mounting a comeback — one that will require sharper execution on scoring holes and a more assertive approach on the greens.
If she hopes to extend her stay in one of amateur golf’s most prestigious events, Malixi must quickly rediscover the form that made her one of the tournament’s most intriguing contenders.
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