Malixi, Hernandez, and Dy book SEA Games berths

MANILA, Philippines — Rianne Malixi and Jet Hernandez formalized their claim on the national team berths for the SEA Games in May in a pair of emphatic fashions with the former dominating the women's elims by 17 strokes over Arnie Taguines despite a double-bogey marred 77 and the latter beating John Edward Dy by 16 in their side of the SEAG qualifier at the Luisita Golf and Country Club Sunday.

Malixi totaled a 594 to clinch the lone berth in the Hanoi SEAG-bound national team she had virtually booked after a sterling performance in the first 72 holes. The ICTSI-backed rising star had built a 12-stroke cushion with a 294 after four rounds, also at the tight Luisita layout, and though she stumbled with an 80 in the sixth round to enable Taguines to cut the deficit to nine, the 2020 national stroke play titlist went up by 13 again with a 71 in the penultimate round Saturday.

“SEA Games will be my biggest team event,” said Malixi, who at 14 will be one of the youngest to help spearhead a national squad. She will be joining LK Go in the team bound for the SEAG slated May 12-23 in Hanoi. The third and last berth will be a captain’s pick.

The women’s team is the defending champion in the biennial games after Bianca Pagdanganan, with Abby Arevalo and Go, led the hosts’ sweep of the individual and team gold medals in the 2019 SEAG, also held at the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed layout in Tarlac.

Taguines skied to an 81 but still placed second with a 611, five strokes ahead of Mafy Singson, who ended up with a 616 after a 75 while Laurea Duque shot a 77 for fourth at 625 followed by Sunshine Zhang (79-630), Reese Ng (80-631) Jody Castillo (86-648) and Gabie Rosca (82-651).

Meanwhile, despite his huge lead, Hernandez never let up although, like Malixi, he had already secured his SEA Games spot as early as three rounds ago. 
He matched par 72 to complete his romp.

A former Junior World campaigner, Hernandez led by as many as 17 strokes over Dy after six rounds before settling for a 12-shot lead heading to the final 18 holes. He hit four birdies against two bogeys in the first nine holes but a double bogey on the par-5 No. 16 stymied his assault, winding up with a 34-36 for an eight-round total of 572.

After going under in the past three rounds (71-70-69), Dy limped with a 76 but still had no trouble taking the other SEAG slot in their side of the elims with a 588 total.

Gab Manotoc fell way short of his comeback bid, his closing 71 just enough for a third place effort at 598 while Kristoffer Arevalo ended up fourth at 600 after a 72.

Masaichi Otake carded a 74 for fifth at 601 followed by Shinichi Suzuki (78-602), Elee Bisera (76-607), Ryan Monsalve (77-608), Ivan Monsalve (80-611) and Miguel Ilas (71-613).