RIANNE Malixi battled back from four shots down with a determined frontside rebound but blew a two-stroke lead with a faltering finish, hobbling home with a one-over 74 and sliding to joint second after three rounds of the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship in Melbourne yesterday.
Local standout Lion Higo seized the opportunity, cashing in on the shaky starts of flightmates and erstwhile frontrunners Nika Ito from Japan and India’s Avani Prashanth, along with Malixi’s stretch-run stumble in a group ahead. She surged ahead with a series of birdies, producing a 70 and establishing a 54-hole total of seven-under 212 at the par-73 Southern Golf Club.
The 2021 champion’s impressive performance put her four shots ahead of Malixi, who pooled 216 in a tie with Prashanth and Ito, who skied to 77 and 78, respectively, while Aina Fujimoto, also from Japan, fired a 70 to join Aussie Amelia Harris, who matched par 73, at 217.
Malixi initially took command with a big bounce-back from a bogey-bogey start, birdying Nos. 3 and 7 to salvage a 36. She then eagled the par-5 10th for the second time in three days to storm ahead by two.
But she failed to get up-and-down on the par-3 No. 12 then lost strokes on Nos. 14 and 15 to slip off the leaderboard.
