Malixi shares top honors in US Women’s Am qualifier

RIANNE Malixi went on an early birdie-spree and churned out a five-under 67 as she shared top honors with Kelly Xu of the US in the 18-hole US Women’s Amateur Qualifying Tournament at the Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai, California Monday.

Four others – Jeneath Wong of Malaysia and American Kellie Vongsaga, who matched 69s, and Hong Kong’s Arianne Lau and Caroline Canales of the US, who carded identical 70s – took the four other slots to the tournament proper, but the other Filpina bidder, Alethea Gaccion, failed to advance with a 72.

They will join the other top finishers from various Qualifying sites in the US

Women’s Amateur slated Aug. 7-13 at the Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles, California. A full-packed field of 156 will be slugging it out for the Top 64 spots in the 36-hole stroke play elims before competitions shift to match play.

The ICTSI-backed Malixi’s binge actually came after she missed chances inside 10 feet on the first two holes as she holed in a five-footer on the par-3 third hole then dominated the back-to-back par-5s from No. 4 and knocked down a pair of fourfooters. Her self-confidence building, she rolled in a 16-foot putt on the par-3 sixth, banged in an eight-footer on the next and drained another five-footer on No. 8.

However, a three-putt miscue on the ninth stalled her birdie-run as her first putt from way out suddenly stopped on a sloping part of the surface and her second stroke from around 14 feet veered to the right at the finish.