Malixi in the mix

Rianne Malixi shook off an opening-hole bogey and clawed her way back with grit and precision, salvaging a two-under-par 70 in the 31st Santo Espiritu Trophy at Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old rising star, taking a break from her studies at Duke University, carried the country’s banner with poise as she teamed up with Cebu stars Grace Quintanilla and Junia Gabasa.

After a nervy start, Malixi steadied herself — birdieing the 4th, stumbling with a bogey on the 6th, then storming back with a sizzling run of birdies on 10, 12, 13 and 14. A late bogey on 17 briefly halted her charge, but the round still underlined her resilience.

She sits in joint eighth alongside Vanessa Borovilos, Ying Xu, Meja Ortengren, Silje Ohma and Alexis Yanet Lamadrid.

American Farah O’Keefe grabbed the solo lead after a 67, one shot ahead of Korean Soomin Oh, Spain’s Andrea Goicoechea, and Japanese Aira Nagasawa.

Quintanilla battled to a 75 while Gabasa signed for a 76.

Grace stumbled with a double bogey on the 2nd and made the turn at 4-over. Another bogey on 10 deepened the hole, but she clawed back with birdies on 13 and 14 to steady her round.

Gabasa, meanwhile, endured a rough day — opening with a double bogey and closing with back-to-back bogeys, salvaging just a single birdie along the way.

Combining the scores of Malixi and Quintanilla, the Philippine team shares 12th spot on 1-over with France in the team event.

United States was alone on top on 8-under, one shot clear of South Korea. Spain was in third spot on 5-under.