Malixi eliminated in first round matchplay of US Women's Amateur Championship

Rianne. c/o USGA

Rianne Malixi's hopes for a title defense were snuffed out on Wednesday, as she bowed out after the first round of the matchplay portion of the US Women's Amateur Championship at the Bandon Dunes Golf Course.

The defending champion lost 1-up to a fellow incoming freshman in Arianna Lau, who was the final woman to make the matchplay field. The Hong Kong native, who is set to join Northwestern, survived a six-hole playoff against Sarah Lim, as the final twosome of a fifteen-player playoff to officially complete the 64-woman field.

On both occasions, Lau had the steely resolve to finish the job on 18. She converted a four-foot putt for birdie in the playoff that Lim was unable to match, then later in the day nailed a thirteen-foot putt for eagle that Malixi could not answer.

Lau actually caught the Filipina off-guard, managing to establish a 3-up lead, before Rianne battled back to keep it level multiple times, with the final one being on 17 to set up the final hole heroics due to Lau missing a four-foot par putt.

Arianna shared afterwards, "I'm just really grateful, especially today... Like it taught me how to handle pressure, especially in match play."

Fellow medalist Asterisk Talley also fell victim to the upset axe, losing to Ella Scaysbrook 6 and 4. Fresh from claiming the Girls Junior PGA Championship the previous week, the US Junior National Team standout never got into a groove, trailing by two after three holes, then dropped four straight starting from 11 on to prematurely conclude her matchup against the Aussie.

Scaysbrook, the 63rd player in the field after nailing a birdie on the 12th in the playoff, got hot to finish off the win, converting three birdies in the last four holes of their matchup.

Malixi and Talley's exits meant that this is the first time since 2015 that multiple medalists were not part of the Round of 32.

Other notables from the first round of matchplay include:

Golf Channel personality Emilia Doran needed twenty holes to keep her from doing full on-course broadcast work, defeating Reagan Zibilski. Doran (nee Migliaccio), a former All-American and NCAA champion at Wake Forest and two-time Curtis Cup team member for the United States, is seeking to be the first mid-am to win the competition since 1978.

She says after her victory, "I'm high on adrenaline right now." After her round, Emilia resumed her role of on-course correspondence for the afternoon session.

Doran will need to dispatch Lau on Thursday morning to remain on track to accomplishing that feat.

Doran's fellow Demon Deacon and this year's Inkster Award recipient Carolina Lopez-Chacarra needed an additional hole to stun University of Texas All-American and British Women's Amateur Championship runner-up Farah O'Keefe, completing a comeback from being 3-down to earn a spot in the next round.

Ashley Kozlowski won the last three holes to force extras against Vanessa Borovilos, who set a tournament record with her 9-under 63 the previous day. The Colorado native and Purdue graduate needed a 25-foot par put to keep things tied after nineteen holes before claiming the 20th on a two-putt par.

Ivy Leaguers Catherine Rao (Princeton) and Allison Paik (Columbia) needed 24 holes to determine a winner, with the former claiming the win after a birdie on the sixth, denying the latter of an opportunity to make the quarterfinals for a fourth straight year.

Rao would say afterwards, "I never want to go this long again. I think I gave my entire family heart attacks, like my legs are sore."

Round of 32 action takes place in the morning, with the Quarterfinalists to be known by the end of the day.