Malixi, Hsu, Xiao and Bosio Qualify for Round of 32

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States: Rianne Malixi survived a stern test of her mettle to progress to the Round of 32 at the 124th US Women’s Amateur Championship.

Digging deep, the 17-year-old from the Philippines saw off the challenge of American Annabelle Pancake 2&1 in a tense Round of 64 contest at Southern Hills Country Club.

Winner of last month’s US Girls’ Junior and joint fourth in the 36-hole stroke play segment here, Malixi was pushed all the way by Pancake, who won the ninth and 10th holes to go one-up.

The Manila native struck back by taking 12 and 13 but her opponent won 14 to return to all square. It was then that Malixi stepped up a gear. She claimed the 15th to regain the lead, made a gutsy par-save to halve the 16th and closed out the match on the 17th green.

Malixi’s reward for that battling performance is a clash with Canadian Anna Huang in Friday morning’s Round of 32.

Also through are China’s Xiao Kaili, Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Huai-chien and Australian Justice Bosio.

In the last 32, Xiao takes on Adela Cernousek of France, the 2024 NCAA Division One national champion.

Hsu will square off with American Scarlett Schremmer and Bosio comes up against Asterisk Talley, the 2024 US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion who was beaten by Malixi in the US Girls’ Junior final.

Xiao, Hsu and Bosio all had interesting matches on Thursday.

Trailing after the fifth hole, Xiao proved too strong for South African Megan Streicher, easing ahead three-up through 14 before closing out the match on the 15th green.

Hsu, one of four players from the University of Texas to make it through to the last 32, enjoyed a similar margin of victory against American Molly Hardwick. Having squared the first three holes, Hsu went in front at the fourth and remained ahead for all but one hole. Wins at nine, 11 and 12 gave her a comfortable cushion from where she cruised home.

In an all-Asia-Pacific clash, Bosio got the better of China’s Liu Daozeng 2&1. The Australian won the first and led all the way, building a four-up advantage through 14. Liu fought hard and claimed the 15th and 16th, but a half on 17 was enough to see Bosio progress.

Along with Liu, there were Round of 64 exits for Chinese Taipei’s Liao Hsin-chun and Japan’s Momo Kamiya, both had their chances before being eliminated at the final hole.

One-up after 15 against American Jasmine Koo, Liao lost the last three holes to bow out two-down.

Kamiya’s contest with Schremmer was equally tight, never more than one hole in the match. Kamiya led after 12 but was pegged back to all square through 16. A par at 17 gave her American opponent an advantage that she clung onto.