Rianne Malixi flourished in an early backside start but faltered with shaky putting in the last 12 holes, ending up with a 72 to fall by four behind a steady Nika Ito halfway through the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship at the Southern Golf Club in Braeside City in Melbourne Wednesday.
Birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 propelled Malixi to a share of lead but Ito broke a run of four pars with three straight birdies from No. 14 as the Japanese regained solo control and the Filipina ace reeled back with three-putt miscues and flubbed birdie putts at the par-73 course’s tricky surface, including a three-footer on the ninth.
Counting her opening 70, Malixi pooled a 142, slipping to joint third with local ace Lion Higo, who carded a second straight 71, even as Ito held sway with a 70 for a 138 after the morning play.
But India’s Avani Prashanth bounced back from a late first round foldup Tuesday with a five-under 68 as the reigning Queen Sirikit Cup individual champion moved to second with a 139, just a shot off Ito heading to the last 36 holes of the year’s first major event in the amateur ranks.
The Top 45 and ties after three rounds will advance to the final 18 holes with the winner to receive invitation to the Webex Players Hunter Valley Championship, a full-sanctioned Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia event.
The Webex event is slated Feb. 15-18 at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in New South Wales.
Despite her up-and-down performance, marked by solid driving and superb approach shots, Malixi’s bid for a strong finish was hindered by inconsistent putting. She showcased moments of brilliance, including a four-footer for birdie on the 10th and a five-footer on No. 12, but struggled to sustain her momentum.
After a couple of missed chances inside 8 feet, the ICTSI-backed ace knocked down another birdie from 10 feet on No. 15, only to yield the stroke on the next with a three-putt miscue from 12 feet, failing to return a par-saving putt from five feet.
After parring the next three holes, the Royal Northwoods mainstay failed to rescue a par from the bunker on No. 2, but scrambled for par on the next before muffing a four-foot birdie putt on No. 4.
She parred the next three but missed another birdie chance from six feet on the eighth and rued a three-footer on the last that grazed the cup for a 37-35 card.
Following a brief rest, the 2023 US Girls’ Junior runner-up focused on refining her wedges and putting skills in preparation for the remaining rounds.
Meanwhile, Ito maintained her composure, responding to Malixi’s challenge with a three-birdie splurge from No. 14 then bounced back from a bogey on the 18th with a second straight birdie on No. 4 to save a pair of 35s and stay on top.
But Prashanth also pressed her title drive, birdying the first three holes at the back for the second straight day then recovering strong from a miscue on No. 13 with a birdie on the 17th. She then came up with another three-birdie blast from No. 3 to turn in a 33-35 and seize solo second.
