Rianne Malixi cruised past American Ellie Koo with a birdie and an early run of pars for a 5&3 victory in the Round of 64 of the US Women’s Amateur Match Play at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday.
Malixi, who moved into the knockout phase at No. 23 after finishing tied at 18th in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying, pounced on Koo’s mishap on the par-4 No. 2 to seize control.
Although she failed to match Koo’s birdie on the par-5 eighth after hitting two bunkers on her way to the green, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to pull away by five holes.
She yielded the 12th on a bogey, regained the hole on the next with a par, lost No. 14 on another mishap, but wrapped it up despite a bogey on No. 15 as Koo holed out with a double-bogey.
Malixi, second-place finisher in last month’s US Girls’ Junior in Colorado, will take on American Bailey Shoemaker at 8:50 a.m. in the Round of 32 on Thursday.
The winner will face the victor in the Hailey Borja-Sara Im clash in the last 16 in the afternoon.
No. 63 Charlotte Cantonis, meanwhile, produced the biggest result when she stunned second seed Andrea Lignell from Sweden, 4&3, No. 54 Aussie Caitlin Peirce pulled off a 1-up win over No. 11 Savannah Grewal of Canada, and No. 53 Thienna Huynh shocked recent US Girls’ Junior winner Kiara Romero, 6&5.
