Malixi jumps to No. 5 in World Amateur Golf Ranking
RIANNE MALIXI soared to a high No. 5 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings following her triumph at the US Women’s Amateur in Oklahoma over the weekend.
Ms. Malixi, who upgraded her silver in the 2023 edition of the prestigious tournament with a 3 and 2 clincher over American Asterisk Talley in the 36-hole finale, climbed five spots from her old standing en route to reaching the highest ranking by a Filipina golfer.
Toting an average of 1191.1809 points, the 17-year-old Ms. Malixi is hot on the tail of England’s Lottie Woad, who continues to hold pole position with 1339.3273 points, and the next highest players, Spain’s Julie Lopez Ramirez (1307.1521), Korea’s Minsol Kim (282.2250) and the United States’ Zoe Campos (1202.1809).
Ms. Malixi, who is set to compete in Korea next, has been enjoying a banner year highlighted by three victories and two runner-up finishes.
She started her ascent by ruling the Women’s Australian Master of the Amateurs in January. After placing second in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in the US in March and the Royal Junior in Japan in April, Ms. Malixi struck gold at the US Girls’ Junior in California last month — only the second time for a Pinay to reign supreme after Princess Superal’s breakthrough in 2014 — before completing her twin kill in the USGA season by annexing the US Women’s tiara three weeks later. — Olmin Leyba
