Malixi, Go just three shots off

Rianne Malixi —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Philippines’ Rianne Malixi and Lois Kaye Go at the back nine—where they started—and settled for one-over-par 73s in soft conditions on Thursday to trail South Korea’s Hyo Song-lee by three shots at the start of the Malaysian Amateur Open at Palm Resort’s Cempaka course in Johor Bahru.

Go had three bogeys in her first five holes, Malixi surrendered two strokes on the par-5 18th after a wayward second shot into the hazard, as the duo spent the rest of the day trying to regain those strokes and stay within striking distance of the leader, eventually gaining a share of second with Canada’s Lucy Lin and local bets Geraldine Wong Xiao Xuan from W. Persekutuan and Kedah D.A.’s Jocelyn Chee Yi Min.

Mafy Singson signed for a 7 on the par-5 11th that led to a 77 for joint 17th, seven strokes off the pace.

Lee, the reigning Korean Amateur champion who tied for third with the ICTSI-backed Malixi in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific in Thailand last month, bounced back strong after yielding two strokes on the par 4 14th, shooting a front side 33 for that 70.

Go birdied the 18th to check a three-bogey slide then got to level par with birdies on Nos. 1 and 4. But the veteran from Cebu bogeyed the next two holes and needed to birdie the eighth to get back into the thick of things with a 35-38.