Filipina golfer Rianne Malixi had to overcome early misfortunes on her way to a 1-over 73 after the third round of the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP), Saturday at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
Malixi, 18, dropped a double bogey and bogey in her opening five holes before fighting back with birdies on 14 and 17 to sit in solo fourth place on 9-under 207, four shots back of 54-hole leader Yang Yunseo of Korea.
Bidding to become the first golfer from the Philippines to lift the prestigious WAAP title, the teenage phenom, who won the 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur, knows her putter needs to get hot on Sunday.
"It was not a good day in the office," conceded Malixi, who has two top-5 finishes at the WAAP.
"I had bad breaks in the first nine. Like my first double, the second hole, I slipped when I teed off, went straight left and had to tee off again and doubled that one. And on five, hit a good wedge shot 40 yards in, landed like a yard before and hit the pin and bounced back off the green.
"That was like my only dropped shots, and none of my putts were like dropping, but I hit a lot of good iron shots. It was frustrating. I tried my best to be patient out there, which I did," she added.
With swirly winds testing the players, a resilient Malixi birdied the driveable par-4, 14th hole and later stuck a wonderful approach next to the pin on 17 for her two birdies before saving par at the par-5, 18th hole with a tricky up-and-down from off the green.
"In the moment, it's not enjoyable for sure. Now after the round, when I look at it, I'm glad that I stuck it out there and was patient," said Malixi, who spent most of 2025 on the sidelines due to a back injury.
READ: After injury-hit 2025, Pinay golfer Rianne Malixi on the comeback trail
The 18-year-old Yang is also dreaming of delivering Korea's first WAAP title despite her overnight three-shot lead shrinking to two following a 72 which put her on 13-under 203.
Compatriots Oh Soomin (67), who was the runner-up in Vietnam last year, and Kim Gyu Been (71), share joint second place on 11-under.