MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi battled back from a double bogey mishap with two backside birdies as she salvaged a second 72 at the Champion course, moving 10 rungs up to a share of 11th but falling 17 strokes off Meja Ortengren, who virtually clinched the crown with a 67 in the third round of the Rolex Tournament of Champions in Florida Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).
Malixi failed to match her frontside 34 Monday, even fumbling with a double bogey on the par-5 No. 6 but made up for the mishap with birdies on Nos. 10 and 18 for a 222 aggregate, counting her woeful 78 at Fazio layout Tuesday.
In contrast, Ortengren sustained her hot run, birdying three of the first six holes then rebounding from a bogey miscue on the seventh with three straight birdies from No,. 11 on her way to a 67 after a 68 and 70.
With an 11-under 205 total, the Swede ace all but wrapped up the title as she sat on a whopping eight-stroke cushion over Alexa Pano heading to the last 18 holes of the annual championship for the top campaigners on the American Junior Golf Association.
Pano broke a frontside par-game with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13 then the local bet bounced back from a bogey on the 15th with another birdie on No. 17 for a 70 and a 213.
Yurang Li of California stumbled with a 73 but gained the third spot at 217 as Kaitlyn Schroeder limped with a 76 after a pair of 71s on both courses to tumble to joint fourth at 218 with Anna Davis and Kary Hollenbaugh, who shot 71 and 74, respectively.
Malixi, 14, had hoped to duplicate her impressive start at Champion that saw her fire three birdies against a bogey in the first round. But she missed a couple of chances and settled for pars then hit an errant shot on the sixth that led to a double bogey.
But she recovered at the back with birdies on the last two par-5s of one of the championship courses at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens to revive her hopes for at least a Top 10 finish.
The 2020 national stroke play champion, however, will need to toughen up as action shifts back to the exacting Fazio layout where Megha Ganne, the top-ranked AJGA campaigner who groped for a 78 to fall to joint 17th at 224, also hopes to put up a stronger finishing kick.