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Rianne Malixi, the Philippine golf’s newest toast, just got home.
But she won’t be staying long.
The 17-year-old is fresh from scoring a historic sweep of the US Women’s Amateur and the US Girls Juniors Championships, something that’s only accomplished by someone on the cusp of superstardom.
Already she jumped to No. 5 — from No. 10 — in the World Amateur Golf Ranking following her recent accomplishments.
Early Thursday, she was greeted at the airport by supporters led by her Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines family.
Yet in just a few days she will fly again for an LPGA of Korea tournament scheduled 22 to 25 August.
Her dad, Roy Malixi, said her stay here would be purely to rest following her hectic few months in the United States.
“Maybe she’ll do some driving range and putting,” he told the Daily Tribune.
Malixi is set to enter Duke University starting November with a full-ride scholarship. She’s taking up English Language and Composition, and Psychology.
Her actual school year only begins in 2025 but she has been taking up pre-requisite classes online.
It has been a successful year so far for Malixi who also annexed the Australian Masters of the Amateur early in the year.
But her most impressive feat was when she ruled the US Women’s and the US Girls — both prestigious week-long tournaments that employ stroke play and match play — only 22 days apart.
She captured the crown at the expense of her friend Asterisk Talley of the United States.
Already she’s being touted as the next best thing in Philippine golf which, as it is, has big names to boast including Olympians Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina.
Malixi’s fame is expected to rise even more as she will see action in several LPGA majors like the US Women’s Open in Wisconsin, Chevron Championships and the Amundi Evian Championships next year.
She also got invites to the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews next week but she’ll skip it because it is too soon for her to obtain a visa.
