RIANNE MALIXI blinked at the finish and wound up with a four-over 75 as she virtually dropped out of the title chase in the Rome Junior Classic in Rome, Georgia, on Saturday.
Sara Im, tied with Malixi and Lydia Swan after 18 holes at the Coosa Country Club, pounced on the Filipina ace’s shaky start and faltering finish, turning in a second straight 67 to grab a two-stroke lead over Thai Thanana Kotchasanmanee heading to the final round of the 54-hole championship of the American Junior Golf Association circuit.
Im shot just one birdie at the front but gained three strokes in the first six holes at the back and went on to fire a solid 35-32 card and a 36-hole total of eight-under 134 while Kotchasanmanee assumed the challenger’s role with a second 68 built around three birdies in the last six holes for a 136.
Swan actually wrested control with a frontside 33 but tumbled down to third with three bogeys in the last six holes. She settled for an even-par 71 and a 138, four strokes behind Im.
Alice Zhao and Reagan Southerland assembled identical 141s after 68 and 72, respectively, while the International Container Terminal Services Inc.-backed Malixi slipped to joint sixth at 142, now eight strokes behind the local bet.
Exuding confidence after a strong opening 67, Malixi fumbled with a bogey on No. 3, recovered the stroke on the fifth but double-bogeyed the par-4 seventh and yielded another shot on the ninth for a 39.
The playoff winner in the Thunderbird All Star three weeks ago regrouped and birdied two of the first five holes at the back but three bogeys in the last four holes stymied her charge in an uncharacteristic finish for the 15-year-old ace toughening up for next month’s SEA Games in Vietnam.
Despite her meltdown, Malixi is out to rebound strong in the last 18 holes to improve her ranking and at the same regain her confidence before flying back home to resume training for the SEA Games mission.