Malixi shines in Western Amateur, but Dizon misses cut in US Girls

MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi put in a three-birdie, two-bogey card in a fine start to her Women’s Western Amateur campaign. Her one-under 70 netted her a share of second with Sadie Englemann of Texas and Aussie Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, just one stroke off Wisconsin’s Emily Lauterbach at the start of the event Tuesday in Northfield, Illinois (Wednesday, Manila time).

Banking on her wedges and putting, the 15-year-old rising Filipina star birdied Nos. 2, 8 and 13 to negate her miscues on the par-5 seventh and on No. 11 for a 34-36 round at the tough par-71 Sunset Ridge Country Club course which yielded just five under-par rounds from the starting field of 119.

Her strong start didn’t only put the ICTSI-backed ace, coming off a victory in team play in the Wyndham Cup of the American Junior Golf Association last week, on track for a spot in the next phase but also a crack at low amateur honors in one of the oldest annual championships in amateur golf held without interruption since 1901.

The top 64 after the 36-hole stroke play will advance to the next round, a match play which fires off Thursday with two rounds with the surviving eight moving to the quarterfinals on Friday.

Lauterbach gunned down three birdies against a bogey to set the pace with a 69.

Nicole Abelar, however, failed to get going as she hobbled with a 77 for a share of 60th, still within target.

A bogey on the first hole coupled with a double bogey on No. 3 hinted at the coming off a struggling day for the Univ. of Houston Cougars mainstay, who bogeyed Nos. 9 and 10, gained a stroke on No. 11 but stumbled with another double bogey on the 15th for a 39-38.

Over in the US Girls’ Junior at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Sam Dizon bowed out of contention for the match play phase as she shot herself in the foot with an 80 on a harrowing backside slide.

Still inside the cutoff line at four-over despite a one-over frontside 38 for a running three-over total, Dizon bogeyed the 10th, dropped two shots on No. 12 and bogeyed three of the last six in a birdie-less 42.

Counting her first round 74, the Singapore-based shotmaker, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, finished with a seven-over 155, and out of the knockout phase of the annual event won by Princess Superal in 2014 in Portland.