Liu Outlasts Malixi to Maintain Title Hopes
Tennessee, United States: Liu Yujie claimed the notable scalp of former champion Rianne Malixi as the China prodigy eyes a quarter-final place at the 126th US Women’s Amateur.
Ooltewah, Tennessee, United States: Liu Yujie claimed the notable scalp of former champion Rianne Malixi as the China prodigy eyes a quarter-final place at the 126th US Women’s Amateur.
In an engrossing Round of 32 clash, the 15-year-old Liu ousted her decorated Filipina opponent on the 19th hole at The Honors Course.
That success earned her a Round of 16 match with American Bailey Shoemaker. When severe weather halted proceedings for the day, Liu was two-up through five holes and seemingly set fair to book a spot in the last eight.
Also ahead when the elements intervened are co-medallist Anna Iwanaga of Japan (one-up through 10 holes against Canadian Michelle Xing) and Thai Pimchompoo Chaisilprungruang (one-up through eight holes against American Rachel Heck).
Australian Ella Scaysbrook is all square with Korean Park Seo-jin through nine holes. Scaysbrook’s compatriot Rachel Lee is one-down against American Asterisk Talley after five holes.
Liu, a two-time winner on the China LPGA Tour, was undaunted by the prospect of facing Malixi, winner of the 2024 US Women’s Amateur.
Having halved the first three holes, Liu drew first blood with winning pars at the fourth and fifth to move two-up. In a topsy-turvy front nine, Malixi then birdied the sixth and seventh to draw level only for Liu to regain the advantage at the eighth.
A par at 10 saw Liu re-establish a two-hole buffer. Two-down with three holes remaining, Malixi battled back with wins at 16 and 17 to square the contest. Both players parred 18, but it was Liu who prevailed at the first extra hole with a par to Malixi’s bogey.
Also having to go to extra holes in the Round of 32 was Pimchompoo who edged past Australian Raegan Denton at the 20th hole.
The Thai was three-up through 13, before Denton rallied, winning 14, 17 and 18 to square the match. A birdie at the par-five second hole – the 20th eventually saw Pimchompoo progress.
In other closely-fought contests, Iwanaga bettered American Natalie Blonien one-up, while her compatriot Yurina Hiroyioshi and Korean Oh Soo-min fell by similarly slim margins to Scaysbrook and Shoemaker respectively. Chinese Taipei’s Liao Hsin-chun went down 2&1 to American Lily Peng.
The most clearcut winners were Park and Lee.
Korean Park eliminated Hong Kong, China’s Arianna Lau 4&3 while Australian Lee continued her outstanding run with a 5&3 thrashing of American Macy Pate.
Saturday will feature the conclusion of the Round of 16 followed by the quarter-finals and semis. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Sunday.
