Rianne Malixi remained in contention at the Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open after firing a steady 3-under-par 69 in Friday’s second round at Rokko Kokusai Golf Club in Hyogo, Japan.

The 20-year-old Filipina rising star, competing in her third appearance in the prestigious annual tournament, put together another solid round highlighted by five birdies against two bogeys to move into a share of 10th place with a two-day total of 7-under 137.

Malixi capitalized on the par-5 holes, collecting three birdies on those scoring opportunities. She made an aggressive start on the front nine, carding four birdies against two bogeys to make the turn at 2-under. She then stayed composed on the back nine, adding two more birdies while dropping just one bogey to keep herself firmly in the hunt heading into the weekend rounds.

The young Filipina, considered one of the country’s brightest golfing prospects, will now look to build momentum as she chases a breakthrough performance against a strong field of top players on the LPGA of Japan Tour.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki continued to dominate the leaderboard, stretching her advantage after backing up an opening-round 64 with another impressive 7-under 65 to reach 15-under overall.

South Korea’s Seoah Kim held solo second place at 12-under after posting a 69.

A tightly packed group sat at 10-under, including Shina Kanazawa (68), Yuna Araki (64), Akira Yamaji (65), Lala Anai (66) and Kana Nagai (68), setting up a competitive weekend battle.

With two rounds still to play, Malixi remains well within striking distance as she aims for a strong finish in one of Japan’s premier women’s golf tournaments.

Malixi bounced back from early setbacks with a steady run of birdies, closing the day under par and building momentum heading into the weekend rounds.