'Chilled' Rianne Races into Round of 32

Ooltewah, Tennessee, United States: Rianne Malixi of the Philippines once more is making headlines at the US Women’s Amateur. In the Round of 64, the most dominant performance of the day came from Malixi, a player who knows this championship all too well having triumphed in 2024.  

On an outstanding day for Asia-Pacific that saw 12 players from the region progress to the Round of 32, arguably the most eye-catching performance came from Malixi, a two-time USGA champion who took a significant step in her pursuit of a second Robert Cox Trophy, brushing aside seventh seed Jasmine Koo, 6&5. 

The rising Duke sophomore, who rewrote multiple programme records during her freshman season, grabbed the lead with a birdie on the opening hole and never looked back, posting the largest margin of victory in the Round of 64. 

Koo, who competed in the 2024 and 2026 Curtis Cups for the US Team and recently completed her sophomore season at USC after being an All-Big Ten First Team player in 2024-25, simply had no answer to Malixi’s brilliance. It was the second time that Koo has been defeated by Malixi, the first coming in the US Girls’ Junior semi-final in 2024.

“At first there is pressure because I’ve won this event before. Everyone is looking at me. But I think it goes both ways. I won this event before, so there is really no need for me to feel pressured to win again. I’m just here to enjoy the week and see a lot of new and familiar faces,” said Malixi, who was eliminated in the first round of match play last year.

“This has been so much better than last year when I was focusing on rehabilitation with my back injury and then had visa issues heading to Bandon that week. But now I’m all chill and relaxed. So, it will be a really fun week. I’m really excited for what’s in store for me.” 

What’s next in store for Malixi is a mouth-watering Round of 32 clash with China’s Liu Yujie, a two-time winner on the China LPGA Tour and one of the most exciting Asian prospects. Liu saw off American Elsie MacCleery two-up in the Round of 64.

Other Asia-Pacific winners were Anna Iwanaga and Yurina Hiroyoshi, members of Japan’s winning Queen Sirikit Cup team in Indonesia in May, Australians Ella Scaysbrook, Raegan Denton and Rachel Lee, Koreans Oh Soo-min and Park Seo-jin, Hong Kong, China’s Arianna Lau and Liao Hsin-chun of Chinese Taipei.

Japan’s Rina Kawasaki has a chance of joining them. She was one-down to American Kylie Chong with two holes of their contest remaining when bad light stopped play on Thursday. They will resume early Friday morning before the Round of 32 commences.

Of the 18 Asia-Pacific players who qualified from the 36 holes stroke play segment at the start of the week, Japan Women’s Amateur champion Aira Nagasawa, China’s Isabella Yan, Australians Jazy Roberts and Amy Hodgkins and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jie-en all bowed out in the Round of 64.

Among the most notable Asia-Pacific winners were Liao, Lee, Lau and Pimchompoo.

Liao was one of nine players who began the day playing off for the final two spots on offer for match play. With a birdie at the fourth extra hole, she made it into the main draw where she faced American Hailey Lee, co-medallist with Iwanaga. Defying the odds, Liao squeezed through, one-up.

For their part, Lee and Lau both needed extra-time, winning through at the 19th hole. Lau beat England’s Isla McDonald-O’Brien while Lee eliminated Canadian Aphrodite Deng, last year’s US Junior Girls’ winner who is seventh in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Pimchompoo, meanwhile, defeated Australian Roberts 2&1, with Koreans Park and Oh both edging through with tense one-up successes. In the Round of 32, Pimchompoo will be up against another Australian in Denton.

Their clash is one of four all Asia-Pacific matches in the Round of 32.

While Malixi squares off against Liu, Hiroyoshi faces Scaysbrook and Lau takes on Park.