Malixi cards 68, charges to within 2 shots off leader
RIANNE MALIXI used an early fumble to fuel a scorching backside drive for a four-under 68 to move to within two shots off Hyo Song Lee halfway through the Malaysian Amateur Open at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club in Senai, Johor, Friday.
Malixi actually missed holing out with an eagle after reaching the closing par-5 18th in 2 to within pin-length distance, the ball sliding past the cup for a 35-33. But her fiery backside run more than made up for her struggle in the first round that led to a 73 as she moved to solo second at 141 for a fiery third round shootout with the Korean, whom she had shared third place with in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship in Thailand last month.
Playing in a flight ahead of Malixi’s, Lee snapped a two-birdie, two-bogey card after 11 holes with three birdies in the last three holes as the reigning Korean Amateur Open champion stayed in control at 139 after a 69 with two rounds left in the 118th staging of the World Amateur Golf Ranking event.
“I hit more fairways today [yesterday] and made a lot of birdie opportunities,” said the International Container Terminal Services Inc.-backed Malixi, who still rued some missed chances while trying to get the feel of her strokes and Cempaka’s surface in the early going.
“I definitely left some putts out there but I was able to pull off a couple of long putts. Missed most of my [birdie] chances in the first nine then converted most at the back,” said the member of the 2022 American Junior Golf Association All-star squad and the Rolex Junior All-american First team.