RIANNE Malixi hopes to ride the momentum of her breakthrough victory in Braeside as she shoots for a sweep of the two premier titles Down Under in the Australian Amateur beginning on Tuesday, January 16, in Victoria.
Malixi rallied from four strokes down in the final round then out-steadied two rivals down the stretch to carve out a one-stroke victory in the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship at the Southern Golf Club last week.
Despite missing out on a couple of prestigious international titles last year, including the US Girls' Junior, Malixi's inaugural success in Australia has fortified her position this week. The ICTSI-backed shotmaker launches her campaign against local entries Yuuki Takada and Jennifer Herbst at 12:42 p.m. at the Keysborough Golf Club.
The championship unfolds across two premier courses with 205 contenders vying for the men's crown and 105 for the women's title. The Keysborough Golf Club, hosting Malixi's opening round, boasts of a challenging par-73 layout while the other half of the field will play the world-renowned Yarra Yarra Golf Club, which will also stage the final two rounds of the annual championship.
Both courses, crafted from sand dunes, promise not only a rigorous test of golfing prowess but also a captivating spectacle for enthusiasts.
Malixi, now more motivated and inspired after her breakthrough overseas victory, remains optimistic about her performance this week.
"I'm a bit pumped up. I'm much more motivated and inspired heading into this week. So, let's see how things go," said Malixi, who hit a clutch birdie and pars to nip India's Avani Prashanth by one last week.
But this week's field is stacked with formidable competitors, including Prashanth, the reigning Queen Sirikit Cup individual champion, and defending champion Mizuki Hashimoto from Japan, also the 2021 Asia Pacific Women's Amateur Championship winner.
Back-to-back runner-up Justice Bosio adds further strength to the 72-hole championship roster that also includes Queenslander Sarah Hammett, Victoria's Jazy Roberts, Mamika Shinchi from Japan and another local ace Caitlin Peirce.
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