Malixi leads US Women’s Amateur tilt in Tulsa, Oklahoma
THE PHILIPPINES’ Rianne Malixi sizzled amid scorching conditions to seize pole position at the start of the 36-hole the stroke play eliminations of the US Women’s Amateur in Tulsa, Oklahoma Monday.
Maintaining the fiery form that netted her the US Girls’ Junior crown three weeks ago, Ms. Malixi fired an eagle-spiked four under 67 to go up by one against American Kelly Xu (68) in the initial salvo at the Southern Hills Country Club.
Ms. Malixi, 17, bounced back strongly from a double bogey on the second hole, racking up birdies in the next three holes to get her game going.
She then canceled a bogey on No. 10 with a searing birdie-eagle-birdie binge from the 15th for a 34-33 opening card and front seat versus NCAA champ Ms. Xu, Frenchwoman Adela Cernousek (69), American US Girls’ Junior runner-up Asterisk Talley (69), Colombian Maria Jose Marin (69) and defending champion Megan Schofill (70).
The Pinay ace entered the tournament with a high profile coming off her record-setting 8 and 7 clincher in the US Girls final in Tarzana, California.
“I’m not used to it (being a USGA champion),” said Ms. Malixi. “It’s so easy to not stay in the present this week, with all the attention I am getting, but I’ve managed to do a good job of staying in the moment and focusing on one shot at a time.”
Ms. Malixi blew hot despite playing in the harder afternoon wave with temperatures reaching 100 degrees around 4 p.m.
“The weather is quite familiar, similar to what it was at the Girls’ Junior and I’ve experienced this a lot in Southeast Asia. So I’m able to focus and keep myself cool,” said Ms. Malixi. “(Southern Hills) is a tough track. You have to miss it in the right spots, and I was able to do that today.” — Olmin Leyba