Malixi slips with 79 but makes cut in Canadian amateur golf tiff

MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi advanced to the final 36 holes of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship but fell way off halfway leader Brooke Rivers as she hobbled with a seven-over 79 at the Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).

Malixi failed to recover from a backside 38 start with a closing 41 marred by a double bogey on No. 1 and bogeys on Nos. 2, 4 and 8, dropping her from joint 14th after a 72 to a share of 50th at 151.

The top 70 and ties from the starting field of 154 made it to the last two rounds of the 72-hole tournament also serving as tune-up for a number of bidders, including Malixi, in next week’s US Women’s Amateur in Los Angeles.

The ICTSI-backed Malixi struggled early with bogeys on Nos. 10 and 13, her third miscue on No. 15 off-setting her lone birdie on the 13th.

Meanwhile, Rivers held sway with a 69 after a solid, course-record 65 as she remained two shots ahead of fellow Canadian Lauren Kim with a 134 total. Kim also carded a 69 for a 136.

Over in Indiana, Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan lead four other Filipinas seeking top honors in the French Lick Charity Classic, one of the few Epson Tour events spread over 72 holes at the tough Pete Dye course at French Lick.

Ardina drew Fil-Am Clariss Guce and American Haylee Harford at 1:14 p.m. on No. 1 while Pagdanganan starts at 2:31 p.m., also on the first hole, with Maddie McCrary of the US and Thai Siri Patchana.

Chanelle Avaricio and Pauline del Rosario both launch their drive at 9:31 a.m. with the former tangling with Taiwanese Joy Chou and Lauren Cox of the US on No. 10, and the latter clashing with Thai Keera Foocharoen and Denmark’s Karen Fredgaard on the first hole.

Abby Arevalo, whose campaign is also backed by the world’s leading port operator along with Ardina and Pagdanganan, kicks off her bid with Korean Ji Eun Baik and American Amanda Kim at 7:52 a.m. on No. 10.

In the LPGA Tour, Yuka Saso, who tied for third in last week’s Evian Championship, opted to skip the Scottish Open, also slated this week in Ayrshire, to prepare for the fifth and the year’s final major, the AIG Women’s Open, on August 10-13 in Surrey, England.