Malixi, Talley share lead heading into US Women's Amateur Championship matchplay

Malixi (c/o USGA)

Last year's finalists at the US Women's Amateur Championship are back together again, as Rianne Malixi and Asterisk Talley shared the lead after the conclusion of stroke portion of the competition on Tuesday at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Conditions along the southwest Oregon coast were conducive for low scoring at the course, and the field took advantage, led by Vanessa Borovilos, as the Texas A&M student-athlete shot the lowest round in tournament history with her 9-under 63.

But it Malixi and Talley who earned the top spot with an aggregate 9-under 135 in two rounds of action. The former followed up her 68 with a 67, while the latter managed a 66 after an opening round of 69. By topping the stroke play portion, both will be sharing the medalists award. And for Malixi, it would be the first time a defending champion took home such an honor since 1975-76.

Both players had a chance to provide some separation. After starting on the back nine, Malixi had her second bogey on her penultimate hole, but closed out with a birdie to make up for it on her final hole on 9. At the same hole, Talley had a shot for an eagle, but she two-putted the green to settle for birdie.

Rianne shared about the conditions, "I was looking at the morning scores and there were some pretty low scores out there. But I was expecting the wind to pick up in the afternoon. Instead, it got warmer, so my ball actually flew further than what I expected. I think, give or take, it was a good setup for me, so I took advantage of it."

Talley adds, "I had to take my sweater off on the second hole. So that was different. Pretty much zero wind all day. Very surprising."

Just a stroke behind the co-leaders is Eila Galitsky of Thailand, as the South Carolina sophomore also carded a 66 to follow her first round output of 70. Borovilos is a shot further back with her historic round alongside a couple of upperclasswomen in Lyla Louderbaugh of Kansas and Catherine Rao of Princeton.

With fourteen players tied at the +1 cut line, a playoff is set to take place early Wednesday morning to determine the remaining six players to complete the field of 64 for the matchplay portion of the competition.

Both Malixi and Talley will have to wait to see who will their opponents be in the afternoon, as they will try to advance into the next round on Thursday.