Malixi endures scrambling finish, trails by 1 after 70 in Aussie Amateur golf tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi narrowly missed forcing a tie for the lead, holing out with a mishap for a three-under 70 as she slipped to joint second with three others, one stroke behind Japanese Aina Fujimoto at the start of the Australian Amateur in Melbourne, Victoria Tuesday.

Three birdies in the first 10 holes fueled Malixi’s big start at the par-73 Keysborough Golf Club, one of the two courses staging the host country’s national championship. She matched Fujimoto’s 69 fashioned out in morning play with back-to-back birdies from No. 16 after a miscue on the 15th.

But she faltered at the finish, conceding a stroke on the shortest of the five par-5s on the 446-yard No. 18 as she settled for a pair of 35s and a share of second with Japanese Mamika Shinchi and Aussies Jazy Roberts Amelia Harris in the 72-hole championship at the 6,314-yard course.

"I pulled my driver to the woods then had a left-handed shot to play out," said Malixi of her last-hole struggle. She hit her third shot into the bunker and failed to get up-and-down.

In spite of her last-hole miscue, Malixi’s performance marked another impressive start, building on her come-from-behind victory in the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship in Braeside, also in Melbourne, last week.

"Despite leaving out some there, I still had a good round to start the event with just one-shot behind the leader," added Malixi. "Still, a lot of holes to go into this week."

In pursuit of claiming both premier titles in Australia, the ICTSI-backed Malixi showcased her skill by birdying the par-5 second hole, gaining another stroke on the fifth and reaching three-under with another feat on No. 10.

A misstep on the 185-yard par-3 No. 15 momentarily slowed her charge but she rebounded with birdies on the next two holes, sharing the top spot with Fujimoto at four-under.

The Japanese took advantage of the favorable playing conditions, rattling off three birdies in the first five holes at the backside of Keysborough. She bogeyed the 15th but broke a run of pars with closing birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 to seize control of the 100-player women’s field with a 34-35 card.

Shinchi, No. 41 in the women’s amateur ranking,