Up-and-down rounds leave Go, Malixi trailing big in Singapore

Rianne Malixi. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SINGAPORE—The Philippines’ LK Go and Rianne Malixi struggled on the trying back nine of the Singapore Island Country Club’s New Course on Thursday to trail big after the first round of the prestigious Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.

Go threw away a three-under card by dropping three shots in her last three holes, settling for a level par-72 to be five shots off the pace being set by world No. 14 Minsol Kim of South Korea, while Malixi battled hard in finishing in the front nine to rescue a 74 and mathematically remain in the hunt.

Kim takes a one-stroke lead over China’s Zixin Ni, Thailand’s Navaporn Soontreeyapas and Hong Kong’s Sophie Han entering Friday’s second round, with Japanese Sayaka Teraoka, Thai Eila Galitsky and Virginie Ding, also from Hong Kong, shooting identical 69s.

Taiwan’s Ting-Hsuan Huang drained three birdies against a bogey to stay firmly on track for back-to-back championships for a 70, which was matched by hometown bet Jaymie Ng.

Go was only two shots off the blistering pace going into No. 16, where she lost a stroke before giving back two more on the par-5 18th that put to waste the work she turned in.

Japan’s Rin Yoshida, ranked fourth on the planet, and recent Queen Sirikit Cup champion Avani Prashanth of India fired a 75 and 73, respectively as Kim dominated the featured threesome where she spiked her round with an eagle 3 on No. 4.

Malixi, joint third placer here last year in Thailand and one of the pretournament favorites, failed to get her rhythm in the last flight with 2021 champion Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan and Thai Kan Bunnabodee, limping with three bogeys on a couple of three-putts and a double bogey on the No. 17 after driving out-of-bounds against a lone birdie for a backside 40.

Malixi got herself back in the mix with a 34 coming home.