Filipina golf hotshot Rianne Malixi is knocking on the doors of the US Girls Junior Golf Championship once again.

On Wednesday she stormed to the next round following a four-under-par 67 to finish the stroke play round tied for second, trailing a red-hot Chinese on the top of the standings at El Caballero Country Club in Southern California.

“I’ve been training a lot with my dad back in Manila. I go play with a … [local] pro and then we do match play just really prepping for this event and keeping the competitive juices. [My dad] just keeps the pressure alive whenever I practice, which is really helpful for this week,” Malixi said.

Sixteen-year-old Kinsley (Nixin) Ni, who has spent the last three years living in the Inland Empire of Greater Los Angeles, followed up her opening round 66 with a bogey-free, 6-under-par 65 Tuesday to earn medalist honors by four strokes.

Her 11-under 131 total was just one shot off the 36-hole championship record set in 2005 by Taylor Karle at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho. Three others have posted 131, including 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Rose Zhang, now a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

The 17-year-old Malixi, who was runner-up in the meet last year, tallied seven-under 135 tying Jasmine Koo, 18, of Cerritos, Calif., an incoming University of Southern California freshman who was just named to the 2024 USA Curtis Cup Team.

Koo and Malixi are the highest ranked in the field, at Nos. 8 and 19, respectively. Malixi fired 68 on opening day, while Koo had 69-66.

The 64 players who survived the cut and qualified for match play will play a single match on Wednesday. The Round of 64 will commence at 8 p.m. (Manila time).

Match play continues on Thursday and Friday with the 36-hole championship match scheduled for Saturday.