Rianne Malixi has a place in history after her win.
USGA/Kathryn Riley
In a US Amateur Women's final against a familiar opponent defined by big shifts, Rianne Malixi needed one to get going.
On Southern Hills' par-5 13th, 31st of the final, Malixi chose to go to the green from 213 yards and holed it. As the water is short and the foundations left, right and far, the high wood of the Malixi fairway found the dead spot of the green, the ball fell from heaven like a sack of flour, almost rolling a foot.
Malixi covered his eagle and stayed close to the hole and finally let go of his birdie when Asterisk Talley failed to get up and down from 57 yards for par. That gave Malixi a 1-up lead, one she would not relinquish as she birdied the next three holes and won the match 3-2 to claim the US Women's Amateur title.
“I think on the 12th hole we tied, I said, take the next six, seven holes as your last four holes like I did in training with my father,” Malixi said. “Then I just flipped the switch and I kept making birdies, and I hit some really good shots and then the putts started going down.”
It was a rematch of the US Girls Junior Amateur final three weeks ago when Malixi dominated Talley from start to finish to win her first USGA title 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final. It is the first time that the same players have met in both finals and they are the 7th and 8th people to play in both finals in the same year.
“Only 22 days. I mean, it feels so surreal now. Everything just fell into place quickly, and it's just an honor,” said Maxlixi. “Honestly, I love the star. I would like to be his friend. That's why I wanted to keep talking to him. And those small talk. I know he's not comfortable right now so I'll just give him space. Yes, building a relationship with him has been wonderful. He's a great player and a great person too.”
When he arrived in Southern Hills this week, Talley wanted another shot at Malixi. In fact, every time Talley saw Malixi, he told the 17-year-old Filipino that.
“We've been talking for like a week,” said the 15-year-old American student on Saturday night. “On the putting green it's like, play well today. Like, I hope to see you again.”
Talley put up a better fight in the rematch, but it wasn't enough on Sunday.
The 36-hole final was divided into 18 holes on Saturday afternoon before concluding on Sunday after the USGA continued playing the Round of 32 and Round of 16 on Thursday in anticipation of storms on Sunday morning.
Tied for just five holes, the pair of high school students finished the first 18 on Saturday with a Talley 1 Up after a major swing in momentum. Both players won three holes in a row by different scores.
That continued on Sunday when Talley opened with a par for his 19th win and was 2 up before Malixi rallied, winning four straight holes from 20-23 to swing the momentum and the match back to him.
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Malixi had opened up a 3 up lead when the two reached the 9th place. Talley focused his way to the prize as Malixi delivered his birdie well. The 15-year-old made another birdie at 10 to level the match when Malixi left his shot in the sand on the 3rd 11th, 29th in the final.
Malixi regained control of his birdie two 5 holes later, then made another with a long putt on the 32nd hole. The killer came in the 33rd when Malixi took the goal in his own way and put in a 15-footer over the hill to go 3 up and play three.
He bogeyed the 34th by getting uphill for birdie on the right side of the green, his bunker shot off the flagstick. It was the 9th time the game ended.
Malixi becomes only the fourth woman to win two separate USGA championships in the same year. Talley was trying to do the same after winning the US Women's Amateur Soccer Championship in May with teammate Sarah Lim.
Malixi is also the second player to win both the US Girl's Junior and Women's Am in the same season, joining Eun Jeong Seong in 2016. Only eight players have won both titles, with Rose Zhang the latest to do so in 2020. .
“I know that I looked down on myself last year and it was as if my father just talked to me. He tried to let me stay on the positive side of things,” said Malixi about his rapid growth this year. “Everything is about vision and I saw that at the beginning of the year. Yes, everything just went up. “
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