Colorado, United States: Rianne Malixi’s brilliant run in the 74th US Girls’ Junior Championship continued on Thursday with two tense victories securing her a spot in the quarter-finals.
After ousting Kaitlyn Schroeder one-up in the Round of 32, the 16-year-old from the Philippines edged past Audrey Rischer by a similarly narrow margin in her afternoon Round of 16 contest.
Following those successes, Malixi will now face be University of Texas redshirt freshman Farah O’Keefe at the US Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course on Friday in the last eight.
Against Rischer, Malixi overcame a cold putter to earn a come-from-behind win and reach her first quarter-final in a USGA championship.
Malixi converted a 15-foot birdie on 17 to tie the match and then two-putted from 12 feet on the 18th hole to seal the win when Rischer failed to get up and down from 25 yards in front of the green.
“I didn’t really have my ‘A’ game today on the first few holes. I only got my ‘A’ game on the last few holes. I was two-down going to 14 or 15. I knew that I needed to make birdies and I was able to sink putts that mattered. That was the key today. I was really patient and calm and collected there,” said Malixi, 96th in the women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Malixi is bidding to join 2014 champion Princess Mary Superal as only the second player from the Philippines to capture this championship. Dottie Ardina was a runner-up in 2011 to Thai Ariya Jutanugarn. Yuka Saso also won the 2021 US Women’s Open while representing the Philippines (has since changed to Japan).
Malixi is the sole Asian to make it into the Last eight following the elimination of Xiao Kaili and Chizuru Komiya in the Round of 16.
China left-hander Xiao went down 3&1 to American Leigh Chien, while Japan’s Komiya lost 2&1 to Mexican Clarisa Temelo.
Earlier in the day in the Round of 32, Xiao defeated American Katie Li one-up while Komiya beat American Eemerie Schartz 5&4.
China’s Alice Zhao Ziyi and Thais Tarapath Panya and Pimpisa Rubrong all bowed out in the Round of 32.
Zhao was pipped on the 19th hole by Chien, while Panya lost 2&1 to Kennedy Swedick and Pimpisa lost 3&2 to Reese McCauley.