NO TOURNAMENT, NO PROBLEM FOR TEEN PRODIGY
Rianne washes dishes, mops floors, learns Japanese during pandemic
I know that other players in the world are playing a lot of tournaments, and I have to prepare and get stronger
Rianne Mikhaela Malixi is spending fewer hours on the golf course due to the coronavirus pandemic, but remains steadfast in her goal to be a world-class golfer someday.
The 13-year-old prodigy, the reigning national stroke play champion, has not played a tournament since placing runner-up to Abby Arevalo in the Philippine Ladies Amateur golf championship last February.
“I miss the pressure of tournament play very much,” said Rianne, who, despite the uncertain future, maintains a strict daily schedule.
“When I’m home for the day, I wake up at 5 or 6 a.m., work out and then school,” she said. “When I’m playing golf, I wake up at 4 a.m. and tee off around 6 or 6:30 a.m.”
Unfortunately, Rianne said she’s not playing as frequent as she did before the pandemic.
“It depends whether my dad has work or not. In a month, my dad has on and off work for 15 days,” she said.
Rianne said if her father does not report for work, they get to play thrice a week. If her father has work, she only gets to play once a week.
In a month, Rianne gets to play only eight rounds, a far cry from her punishing five-times-a-week schedule at the Royal Northwoods Golf and Country Club in San Rafael, Bulacan before the pandemic.
Without tournaments, Rianne said she motivates herself through self-discipline.
“I know that other players in the world are playing a lot of tournaments and I have to prepare and get stronger,” she said.
I miss the pressure of tournament play very much.
Standing five-foot-two and weighing 125 pounds, Rianne hits her driver about 250 yards, just about the same distance an average LPGA player does.
She said she has gotten stronger by 10 yards from last year and hopes to improve on it as she grows taller.
“I hope I can reach 5-5 at least. My father stands 5-10,” she said.
Rianne said she’s happy and proud for the exploits of Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan overseas, but admitted to feeling envious.
“It’s natural to feel a little jealous because they’re making a lot of progress abroad.
So instead of feeling disappointed, I have to face reality and prepare too for the future,” she said.
I still have to master three scripts in Japanese.
Despite less time on the golf course, Rianne said she fights inactivity by doing household chores aside from attending to her school lessons and working out.
“I wash the dishes, mop, sweep, and vacuum the floor,” said Rianne who also sent a photo showing her and sister cleaning their father’s vehicle.
She works out in their mini-gym at home where she hits balls on the driving net and practices putting.
After the chores and workout, Rianne spends six hours attending to home school.
Rianne is also fond of sketching which she does on spare time and lately, has been trying to learn Japanese.
“I have been watching Japanese animation series, and it just irritates me that I don’t know the language and I have to read the subtitles,” Rianne explained why she wanted to learn Japanese.
She said she’s having fun although she’s still a long way to go in understanding the language.
“I still have to master three scripts in Japanese,” she said.
After a busy year wherein she competed in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam, Japan and Malaysia, Rianne hasn’t gone out of the country.
She was supposed to take part in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific championship in Thailand and the ANA Jr. Inspiration amateur tournament in the US, both of which were canceled.
Normandy Sto. Domingo, Rianne’s swing coach, said her prized pupil hits the ball longer and has matured a lot as a golfer.
He said Rianne scores between two-under and even par off the blue tees at Northwoods, although he concedes that she may need to be tested consistently in tournaments.
“Of course, it is different when you play tournaments where you learn to deal with pressure,” he said.
Rianne was also supposed to make her fifth appearance in the IMG Junior World in San Diego, California where her best finish was runner-up to Chutimon Rujinaran of Thailand in the 11 to 12 age bracket last year.
She broke into national prominence that same year when she won the division in the FCG International 2019 in San Diego.
Now a member of the national pool, Rianne gets to play with her teammates at Luisita Golf Club in Tarlac.
But training has not been consistent because of the pandemic.
“I have played around 10 times in Luisita,” she said.
To make her practice rounds worthwhile, Rianne said she sets goals for herself.
“I challenge myself for improvement,” said Rianne who is used to playing alone.
“I wish the tournaments would resume as long as we follow safety protocols,” she said.
Among her golf heroes are Tiger Woods, Collin Morikawa, Daniella Kang and Saso, her teammate with the Pradera Verde golf team that dominated the PAL Ladies Interclub in Davao two years ago.
Rianne said she still remembers the advice she got from Saso who now has won two titles in the Japan LPGA.
“There was a situation that I had been hooking my shot a lot. She just told me to adjust and aim right of the target,” she said.
Adjustment. That’s what Rianne has been doing to survive the pandemic.