Rianne Malixi failed to match Sadie Englemann’s hot finish in their spirited duel for medal honors, ending up second after the 36-hole stroke play elims with a second straight 70 in the Women’s Western Amateur in Northfield, Illinois Wednesday.
Malixi equaled her three-birdie, two-bogey round Tuesday after 13 holes in another windy day at the par-71 Sunset Ridge Country Club course and tied for the lead after Englemann bogeyed the 15th.
But the Austin, Texas native bounced back with birdies in the next two holes on her way to a 68 and a 138 while the ICTSI-backed Malixi ran off five pars to close out her elims campaign for a 140.
Still, it was a fine two-day showing by the 15-year-old two-time American Junior Golf Association champion, who is coming off a victory in team play in the Wyndham Cup, also part of the AJGA tour, last week.
Thirty others made it to the knockout phase beginning Thursday with emphasis on endurance with two rounds slated in the day.
The morning Round of 32 matches pit Malixi against No. 31 Megan Furtney of St. Charles, Illinois, while Engleman faces Indiana’s Annabelle Pancake. Winners will advance to the Sweet 16 set in the afternoon.
The quarterfinals and the semifinals are also both slated on Friday with the survivors disputing the championship on Saturday.
Nicole Abelar, the other Filipina bet in the fold, groped for a 78 and missed the cut at 151 with a 155 total.
Malixi, seeking to become the first Filipina to win in one of the oldest and most prestigious annual championships in women’s amateur golf, birdied No. 2 but gave up the stroke with a second straight bogey on the tough par-5 seventh.
She struck a solid iron tee-shot and birdied the par-3 No. 8 but bogeyed No. 11 which she birdied in the first round.
She, however, made the most of the last par-5 on No. 13 to give herself a shot at medal honors, only to yield in the face of Englemann’s hot finish.
Mikha Fortuna made it to the championship in 2016 but lost to Jillian Hollis while Dottie Ardina settled for back-to-back runner-up finishes to Taylore Karle and Jaclyn Jansen in 2010 and 2011, respectively.