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MANILA, Philippines — Four holes into her practice round at Champions Retreat, Rianne Malixi felt a sharp pain in her lower back and made the difficult decision to withdraw, leaving this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur without one of its brightest stars.
The 18-year-old Filipina had been eager for redemption after missing the cut in her tournament debut last year. However, after just a few holes, she informed a Golf Channel personnel that she was experiencing low back pain.
This was the same issue that forced her to withdraw from the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Vietnam late last year, where she had complained of a back strain. Despite the setback, the reigning US Girls’ Junior and US Women’s Amateur champion managed to compete in the Philippine Open as a guest entry last February.
Malixi had long dreamed of playing at Augusta National, the hallowed home of the Masters, ready to prove herself once again on the world stage. Her remarkable victories in two of the top USGA championships propelled her to No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, solidifying her reputation as one of the sport’s rising stars.
She revealed that she had undergone a recent MRI but chose not to disclose further details.
An incoming freshman at Duke University, Malixi was not replaced in the field, reducing the tournament’s roster to 71 players. She had been scheduled to tee off at 8:12 a.m. on Wednesday in Group 4 alongside Meghan Ganne of the US and Spain’s Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio at the start of the 54-hole, four-day championship.
The first two rounds will take place at Champions Retreat Golf Club, followed by a practice round at Augusta National before the final 18 holes are contested at the legendary course.
