Rianne moves onafter strong finish

MUIRFIELD, Scotland — Rianne Malixi continued to showcase why she is regarded as one of the brightest young stars in amateur golf, delivering another composed performance on Tuesday to secure a strong position heading into the knockout rounds of The Women’s Amateur Championship at the historic Muirfield Golf Club.

The Filipina standout fired a three-under-par 68 in the second round of stroke-play qualifying, finishing with a 36-hole total of five-under-par 137 to claim a share of second place after two days of competition. Malixi ended the qualifying stage tied with American Farah O’Keefe and Sweden’s Meja Ortengren, just a stroke behind England’s Lily Hirst, who emerged as medalist at six-under 136.

After opening the tournament with a steady two-under 70 on Monday, Malixi returned on Tuesday with another polished round, once again displaying the consistency and composure that have defined her recent rise on the international amateur circuit. Her performance not only secured one of the higher seeds entering match play but also reinforced her status as one of the players to watch in the prestigious championship.

With stroke-play qualifying now complete, Malixi advances to the Round of 64, where she faces a challenging opening match against Spain’s Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, one of Europe’s top young prospects. Fernandez Garcia-Poggio already boasts an impressive amateur résumé, having won both the Spanish Ladies Amateur Championship and the Copa S.M. La Reina, making the matchup one of the more intriguing first-round contests in the tournament.

At the top of the leaderboard, England’s Lily Hirst surged into first place after producing one of the best rounds of the day — a flawless five-under 66 featuring five birdies without a single bogey. O’Keefe matched Hirst’s round with a bogey-free 66 of her own, allowing her to climb into a tie for second alongside Malixi and Ortengren.

Defending champion Paula Martin Sampedro of Spain remained firmly in contention after finishing tied for fifth at four-under 138, sharing that spot with Wales’ Gracie Mayo. Meanwhile, Anna Davis of the United States and Sweden’s Ebba Nordstedt sat tied for seventh at three-under 139.

Malixi’s strong showing this week builds on the momentum she established during Monday’s opening round, where she started aggressively by birdieing two of her first three holes before calmly parring the remaining 15 holes. She followed that disciplined effort with another steady round Tuesday, comfortably punching her ticket into the championship’s match-play phase.

Only the top 64 players after the two-day stroke-play qualifier advanced to the knockout portion of the tournament, where the format now shifts entirely to head-to-head match play. Players will battle through six rounds before the championship culminates in a demanding 36-hole final.

The stakes remain enormous. Beyond the prestige of winning one of women’s amateur golf’s most celebrated championships, the eventual champion will earn coveted exemptions into some of the biggest events in the sport, including the AIG Women’s Open, US Women’s Open, The Chevron Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and the Standard Portland Classic.

For Malixi, the mission now shifts from consistency to survival, as she looks to continue her impressive run and bring the Philippines deeper into one of amateur golf’s grandest stages.