Malixi rebounds, but Thai ace pulls away in Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi flashed some kind of resiliency, rebounding from a double bogey miscue with three birdies on her way to a 69 and a six-spot jump to joint 14th in the third round of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Abu Dhabi Friday.

But she fell farther back by 10 shots as Natthakritta Vongtaveelap zeroed in on the crown with a fiery birdie-eagle windup for a 67, thus driving a wedge from arch rival Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan, who tied the Thai at 12-under with a birdie on No. 16 but failed to match the latter’s sizzling finish and settled for a third straight 68.

With a 15-under 201 total, Vongtaveelap built a three-stroke lead over Hashimoto, who pooled a 204, while Aussie Kelsey Bennet assembled a 205 after a 69 and Malaysian Ashley Lau and Aussie Cassie Porter matched 68s for identical 206s heading to the final 18 holes of the event.

The winner of the ranking event will earn a spot in next year’s two majors – the AIG Women’s Open and the Evian Championship – plus an invite to the 2022 Augusta Women's National Amateur.

As six players stayed glued to each other in a spirited chase for the lead majority of the third round, Malixi mounted her own fightback from joint 20th, hitting early birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 and bucking a miscue on the seventh with birdies on Nos. 8, 10 and 14.
With a five-under 211 aggregate, the 14-year-old rising Filipina star remained too far behind but hoped to build on her strong comeback for a crack at a Top 10 finish.

"This is not expected because I didn't really have a solid week in my last event," said Malixi in assessing her impressive showing against some of the world's leading players in the ranks following a quarterfinal effort in the recent PXG Match Play Championship in Florida. 

But she hopes to put up a stronger finish to improve on her current position and a crack at a Top 10 spot.

"My goal tomorrow (Saturday) is to stay patient and be more confident," added Malixi, who hit an errant tee-shot to the right hazard on par-3 No. 7, re-teed but over-clubbed, landing her third shot some three pins away for bogey and missed.

Lois Kaye Go holed out with a bogey on No. 9 for a 73 as she dropped to a share of 30th at 216 while Nicole Abelar blew a two-under card with a triple-bogey mishap on the tough No. 7 and needed to birdie the next to salvage a 72 for joint 33rd at 217 while Bernice Ilas, who also submitted an even par card.

Mikha Fortuna floundered with a 78 and fell to a share of 47th at 221.