RIANNE Malixi on Saturday scrambled to save her round and her weekend. She birdied four of her last five holes, but a bad start doomed her bid at the Amundi Evian Championship, the LPGA’s fourth of five major tournaments, where she missed the cut.
She shot a one-over-par 72 in the second round and missed the weekend by two strokes. She needed to shoot at least a 70, but she was savaged by four bogeys in her first 10 holes and the rest of the round was a struggle to make the cut.
She mounted a challenge, but fell short.
It was the same thing for Yuka Saso. The Fil-Japanese, two-time US Women’s Open champion who also needed a second-round comeback. She, too, could not raise her level and also shot a 72.
Ironically, she and Malixi had identical two-round scores of 74-72. Both also missed the cut in the LPGA’s last major, the US Women’s Open.
Some of Malixi’s stats were not bad – 270 yards average drive, eight of 13 fairways hit and 13 of 18 greens in regulation - but her putting was a disaster: 32 in 18 holes, matching her first-round total, 64 in all.
Saso had a roller-coaster round of four birdies and a double bogey and five birdies.
Malixi, 18, who got the invite after winning last year’s US Women’s Amateur Open and the US Girls’ Junior, bogeyed holes four, six and eight and also the 10th. She rallied with three straight birdies from the 14th and capped her stint with another on the 18th, sandwiching a 17th hole bogey.
She will probably find some solace in the fact that among those who also missed the cut were Rouning Yin, In Gee Chun, Lydia Ko, Sei Yung Kim, Lilia Vu - all former major champions and some in the top 10 world rankings.
Evian Championship's top of the leaderboard
Leading the tournament is South Korea’s Somi Lee at 10 under, who followed her first round 67 with a 65. Grace Kim was a shot back after a 68 and Jennifer Kupcho was at eight under following 69.
Meanwhile, Rico Hoey continued his quest for his first PGA Tour win at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky by firing a three-under-par 67 in the second round.
He has a two-day total of 135, five-under-par, and was tied for fifth spot, six shots behind Chan Kim who was at 11 under par after 68. Kim leads the tournament by five shots.
Many of the PGA Tour’s stars are in Scotland for the Scottish Open as they prepare for the year’s last major, the British Open, which will be held at Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, home country of Rory McIlroy.
Chris Gotterup of the US shot a nine-under-par 61 Friday to lead the tournament at minus 11, two shots clear of Harry Hall (64), while three others were at 8 under, including major winner Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg.
McIlroy was in a tie for sixth at seven under, while Xander Schauffle was at six under. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot a 68 and was in a tie at 21st with five more.
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