Filipina golfer Rianne Malixi is looking to open her 2026 campaign on a strong note as she competes in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship, starting on Thursday at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
Malixi, 18, is coming off an injury-riddled season that slowed her rise at the amateur ranks. Currently ranked 21st on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Malixi had struggled with a back injury in 2025 and missed the podium when she represented the Philippines in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
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"It's always an honour to play in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific," said Malixi, who is making her sixth WAAP start. "I've been playing since I was 13 or 14. I've always looked forward to this championship, a lot of familiar faces, new faces and it's growing, so I'm really happy.
"To be very blunt, that (winning this week) would be the greatest comeback, at least as far as my amateur career goes. I know it's quite a reach, but anything is possible and I'm willing to put in the hard work this week," she also said.
Malixi had endured her injury during last year's WAAP in Vietnam, only returning to action at the Espirito Santo Trophy in Singapore last October.
There, she finished as the runner-up in the individual category, and then won her first U.S. collegiate tournament, the Sea Best Intercollegiate, in Florida last month where she plays for Duke University.
"There were definitely a lot of lows last year. I think I only played well in two events in the 2025 season, and then I did a lot of recuperation and recovery work — therapy in Australia, meeting with my biomechanist and my PT (personal trainer)," said Malixi.
"Then I started getting physically stronger and more stable with my back, but I wasn't playing as well, so that was very frustrating. I didn't really play great until last month. It's been a struggle, but also a learning curve for me," she added.
Malixi will be up against a strong field that features 12 players from the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, headlined by defending champion Jeneath Wong of Malaysia.
No golfer from the Philippines has won the WAAP since its inauguration in 2018. Malixi's best finishes came in 2022, when she tied for third, and in 2024 when she tied for fifth.
The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region's elite women amateurs to the international stage.
The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026: the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, The Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States.