Late birdie surge puts Malixi back in Australia Master of the Amateurs mix

MANILA, Philippines — Rianne Malixi turned a shaky start into a determined finish, birdieing the last three holes to salvage a 74 on Friday and remain in contention for her title defense at the Australia Master of the Amateurs.

The four-day championship at the Southern Golf Club in Braeside, Australia saw the 17-year-old Filipina prodigy showcase her grit and composure in the face of early adversity in the tournament she won in stirring fashion last year.

She went on to secure victories in both the US Girls’ Junior and the US Women’s Amateur, becoming only the second player since South Korea’s Eun Jeong Seong in 2016 to achieve this extraordinary “double” triumph.

Starting with a lackluster front nine, Malixi struggled with her long game and dropped strokes on Nos. 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 against a birdie on the fourth, turning in a four-over-par 40. Her woes extended to the back nine, where she bogeyed the 10th hole.

She bounced back with a birdie on the 11th, only to give it back on the 14th.

But after a par on No. 15, Malixi’s solid tee shot set up a crucial birdie on the par-3. With momentum on her side, she capitalized on the long par-5 17th, dominating the hole to secure another birdie. Her final flourish came at the 18th, where she holed out with yet another birdie, capping a blistering back-nine 34 to move to joint 13th with seven others.

Despite ending the first round six shots behind Australian leader Sarah Hammett, who fired an impressive eagle-spiked 68, Malixi’s closing stretch underscored her championship pedigree and fighting spirit.

Looking ahead to the second round, Malixi is set to tee off on Friday alongside New Zealand’s Eunseo Choi (75) and Japan’s Ko Kurabayashi (76). Her late charge in the opening round will undoubtedly be a source of confidence as she seeks to climb the leaderboard and defend her title.

Meanwhile, Julianna Go, another Filipino contender, had a tough day on the course, carding a 79 with two birdies, five bogeys and two double bogeys, placing her in a share of 50th in the starting field of 84 players.