TULSA, Okla. — Every once in a while, there’s an occurrence in sport that has never happened before and likely will never happen again. Saturday at Southern Hills Country Club may be one of those moments.
Rianne Malixi, the 17-year-old from the Philippines, and Asterisk Talley, the 15-year-old from California, took part in a day unlike any other in the history of the United States Golf Association. Weather forecasts forced a change in the schedule for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur, meaning the semifinals were played Saturday morning with the first 18 holes of the championship match taking place in the afternoon.
Malixi and Talley, who have each won an USGA championship in recent months, are a combined 26-1 in match play at USGA events this year. The lone loss came 21 days ago, when Talley fell to Malixi in the 36-hole final at the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
On Saturday, they blasted tee shots down the hill on the first hole, making history as the first duo to play against each other in the U.S. Girls’ Junior final and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Not only in the same year, but in the history of the events. In fact, not even in the Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur has had the same pair matched up in the championship final of both events. The duo, by combined age, are also the youngest in the history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship match.
Improbable doesn’t even describe the chances of the duo meeting again in the U.S. Women’s Amateur final, only three weeks and 1,450 miles replaced from Malixi’s record margin of victory (8 and 7) at El Caballero in Tarzana, California. They had to grind through two days of stroke play and each win five matches against some players ranked higher than them and many much more experienced than them.
For Talley, a win on Sunday would make her the third youngest to ever win the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and she would do so in her first appearance at the championship. For Malixi, it would make her the second player ever to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same year, joining Eun Jeong Seong in 2016, and she would do so in her fourth attempt.
A historic match is only halfway complete, setting the stage for what’s bound to be an unimaginable 18 holes at Southern Hills on Sunday. Buckle up.
U.S. Women’s Amateur: Photos from Southern Hills
Here’s what you need to know from the first 18 holes of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur championship match:
Young fans watch as Asterisk Talley plays her shot out of a green side bunker on the 11th hole during the final match of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
At the halfway point of the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Talley found herself six down to Malixi. She lost the opening hole, tied it on the second but Malixi took the lead for good on the fifth and never looked back.
Right from the start, Talley was determined to not dig herself a hole at Southern Hills.
She birdied her first hole, one of four she had in the opening 18 holes on Saturday afternoon. The birdie helped her go 1 up, though she trailed by two only four holes later, and momentum seemed to be swinging in Malixi’s favor again.
Talley’s tee shot on six swung momentum back to her side. She hit a brilliant shot to the tucked pin, with Malixi conceding the short birdie putt. Malixi’s approach went long, and she duffed her chip shot. Talley won three straight holes and four of six, and her lead ballooned to 3 up.
Malixi fought back to tie the match after a birdie on the 16th green, but Talley retook a 1-up lead with a par on the 17th hole, and that’s the lead with 18 holes to go.
“I feel like it would be fun to play a little more, but I mean, fresh day tomorrow, take the rest if you can get it,” Talley said.
It’s a unique situation for both competitors, having about 20 hours to reset before the match picks back up Sunday afternoon. Talley said she may work on her swing some in the hotel room, but she’s not worried about any extra pressure with the overnight lead.
“Sleeping on this lead is fine,” Talley said. “I feel like Rianne knows what she has to do, and I know what I have to do, and it’s just gonna be who can play the best.”
Rianne Mikhaela Malixi plays her tee shot on the 10th hole while the crowd surrounds during the final match of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Sometimes all you can do is laugh.
That’s what Malixi had to do on the par-4 18th hole. Earlier in the day, she hit a clutch birdie putt to win her match and advance to the championship match. The afternoon was a different story.
Malixi hit her approach to the top tier of the green, with the pin in a small bowl on the front of the green. The putt was difficult, but as soon as she hit it, she knew it was trouble.
“I was talking with my caddie, and I was like, ‘Oh, I hit this in the practice round,’” Malixi said. “I just completely hammered it.”
The ball rolled into the lower bowl, and then it continued to creep closer to the edge of the putting surface. It seemed as if the ball was going to stop, but nope. It rolled some 40 yards off the green down the enormous slope.
The mistake wasn’t costly, thankfully. Talley could only manage a bogey, and Malixi hit a brilliant recovery shot and escaped with a bogey instead of doubling her deficit going into the final day.
“Because I just chunked my chip shot on 17, I was not confident with my chipping at all,” Malixi said. “But it’s a good thing I made up and down from that 36-yard pitch shot. It’s a confidence booster for tomorrow.”
Malixi said her plans Saturday night were simple.
“I’m going to get some rest. I’m really tired today,” Malixi said. “Yeah, get myself some good food and then good sleep.”
Asterisk Talley plays her tee shot on the fourth hole during the finals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
With 18 holes to go, anything could happen at Southern Hills.
The course is likely to change plenty overnight. Fairways had dried out and greens were firm Saturday afternoon after a long week of warmer temperatures and breezy winds, but overnight and early-morning rains are going to make the course somewhat unrecognizable. Conditions will be softer, though don’t expect Southern Hills to lose its bite.
Does that lead to more birdies? Perhaps. It’s a place where par will win a lot of holes, and the player who makes the least amount of mistakes Sunday will hoist the Robert Cox Trophy.
“I’m like infamous for being fast, but I really need to calm down, slow down tomorrow, not get too excited, not get too anxious for tomorrow,” Talley said. “I feel like that’s going to be the big thing.”
The championship match is set to resume at 2:50 p.m. ET.
Asterisk Talley plays her tee shot on the first holeduring the finals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Sunday, Aug. 11: Golf Channel (3-6 p.m. ET)
Fred Perpall speaks before the finals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
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