THE Philippines’ top amateur golfer, Rianne Malixi, made an immediate impact in her freshman season at Duke University as she captured her first collegiate individual title with a record-setting performance at the Sea Best Intercollegiate this week.
Malixi, a highly touted freshman from Manila, fired a final-round 9-under-par 63 to finish the 54-hole tournament at 16-under 200, winning by two strokes at the par-72 San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida.
The 19-year-old’s closing-round 63 tied the lowest 18-hole score on a par-72 course in Duke women’s golf history, while her tournament total of 200 set a new school record. Her 16-under score was tied for the 20th-lowest 54-hole total relative to par in NCAA history, and she became one of only 15 freshmen to shoot 63 or better in NCAA competition.
Malixi, who in 2024 became only the second golfer to win both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same year, secured the victory despite two early bogeys before surging on the back nine. She recorded seven birdies over her final nine holes, including five straight to open the inward half, to seal the title.
“I played really well this week,” Malixi said in a media interview. “I credit my iron play and consistency off the tee. Even though my putting hasn’t felt comfortable, I managed to make it work.”
As a team, Duke finished second overall at 27-under 837, one stroke behind tournament champion Florida. The Blue Devils placed five players inside the top eight of the individual standings, marking the program’s strongest showing in that category since 2017.
Malixi’s breakthrough comes after a challenging fall season in which she struggled for consistency in her first collegiate starts. Her performance in Jacksonville marks her first individual victory at the college level and places her firmly in Duke’s record books early in her career.
