Thai Junior World romp fires up Malixi in WAAP

MANILA, Philippines – Armed with the same mindset she had in her last two tournaments, Rianne Malixi expects to contend for the championship in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific, which unwraps Thursday, November 3, at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand.

Twenty-two of the world’s top 100 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, including 17 of the region’s finest golfers from 22 golfers, are seeing action in the fourth staging of the 72-hole championship where the winner will gain invitations to play in two major (LPGA) championships and an exemption into the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

Malixi tied for 23rd in her first foray in the blue-ribbon event in Abu Dhabi last year, but with a stellar performance in the season about to end, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker is confident of contending against the best and the brightest in all four days.

They include Japanese Baba Saki, the reigning US Women's Amateur champion who rose to world No. 4, No. 14 Korean Jiyoo Lim, who notched three victories in the past year, and Thailand’s world No. 36 Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who is coming off a big victory in the Thailand Amateur Open in Bangkok two weeks ago.

The Thai ace foiled Malixi in sudden death to keep her country’s premier amateur championship after the rising Filipina star rallied from four down in the last 18 holes to force a sudden death.

But the playoff setback only fired up the two-time AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) champion, who dominated the final round of the Thailand Junior World Championship the following week and won by three at the Royal Hua Hin course.

“I’ll be playing with the same mindset as the past few weeks,” said Malixi, who will be joined by fellow Filipinas Lois Kaye Go, Mikha Fortuna and ICTSI teammate Mafy Singson in the WAAP at the Waterside course of the SSC.

But Vongtaveelap is also out to redeem herself from a mediocre final round showing last year that saw her squander a three-shot lead and lost to Mizuki Hashimoto by one on a closing 72. The Japanese proved so consistent with four 68s to win.

Now LPGA campaigner Thai Atthaya Thitikul ruled the inaugural staging of the event in 2019 in Singapore, edging three others in the playoff, including Yuka Saso, at Sentosa Golf Club, while Japan’s Yuka Yasuka reigned at home in 2019 with now pro Abby Arevalo finishing tied for seventh, ahead of Bianca Pagdanganan (11th) and Saso (tied 17th).

But though not in the list of the early favorites, the Pinays are more than ready and motivated to get going with Go, the top Filipino ranked at No. 223, No. 386 Fortuna and Singson, down at No. 692 in the world ranking, eager to slug it out with the fancied bets.

While Malixi, who has also notched three victories in the local pro circuit this year, remains too far behind at No. 262 despite a recent 28-spot jump, the 15-year-old believes she has got what it takes to pull off a big surprise by the weekend.