Fueled by heartbreak, Malixi chases glory in Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific

MANILA, Philippines — Rianne Malixi returns to the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship with renewed fire, determined to make up for lost ground after last year’s heartbreak and prove that her health woes are finally behind her.

The 18-year-old Filipina ace tees off at 10:27 a.m. Thursday at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in Upper Hutt, New Zealand, alongside Japan’s Yurina Hiroyoshi and Australian Jazy Roberts, one of the early favorites in the four-day championship that serves as a launching pad for the region’s elite women amateurs.

For Malixi, this year’s WAAP is more than just another start — it’s a statement.

Last year in Malaysia, she managed only five holes before a nagging back injury forced her to withdraw, abruptly ending a campaign she had painstakingly prepared for. It was a bitter setback for a player who thrives on big stages and who had been building momentum in the amateur ranks.

Instead of sulking, Malixi turned her focus to recovery. She spent the bulk of the season rehabilitating her back and rebuilding her strength, determined to regain the sharp form that made her one of the brightest young stars in world amateur golf.

That form was nothing short of historic.

In 2024, she captured both the US Girls’ Junior and the US Women’s Amateur titles, becoming only the second player in history to sweep the prestigious USGA crowns in the same year. The achievement cemented her status as a global force and underscored her ability to rise to the occasion.

Now fully fit and brimming with confidence, Malixi arrives at her record-setting sixth WAAP appearance with unfinished business on her mind. She is one of only four players to compete in the championship six times — a testament not just to her longevity, but to her consistency at the highest level of amateur competition in the region.

Her best WAAP finish remains a tie for third in Thailand in 2022. This time, she is aiming higher.

The champion will earn invitations to three LPGA majors — the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, and the Chevron Championship — as well as coveted spots in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Hana Financial Group Championship.

The stakes are enormous, and Malixi knows exactly what is within reach.

But the path to the crown will be anything but easy.

Malaysia’s Jeneath Wong is eyeing a rare back-to-back title, while Korea’s Soomin Oh, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 11 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, leads a formidable Korean contingent that includes Sumin Hong and Yunseo Yang. Roberts and New Zealand’s Vivian Lu are also expected to contend in a field of 84 players from 26 nations.

Still, Malixi’s focus is inward. Healthy, hungry and battle-tested, she is driven by the memory of last year’s early exit and the desire to finish what she started.

Meanwhile, fellow Filipina Junia Gabasa, the country’s other representative in the field, tees off at 10:54 a.m. on No. 1 alongside Australia’s Shyla Singh and Hong Kong’s Sabrina Wong.

For Malixi, the mission is clear: start strong, stay healthy and turn past frustration into long-awaited triumph.