By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Rianne Malixi fumbled with a 1-over-par 73 and trailed co-leaders Mari Jose Marin and Oh Soomin by eight strokes at the start of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday, April 1 at the Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia.
The 19-year-old Malixi started well with a birdie on the third hole and kept it steady before stumbling with bogeys on the par-4 13th and par-5 18th for a share of 40th place with seven others.
Colombia’s Marin and Korea’s Oh made strong statements in their respective title campaigns, each firing identical bogey-free seven-under-par 65s to seize a one-shot lead over three pursuers.
Starting at the back nine, Marin carded birdies on the 12th, 15th and 18th, then followed it up with back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes, as well as the eighth and ninth.
Oh, for her part, caught fire on the front nine, rolling in back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 before reeling off three straight birdies starting at the seventh.
She finished it off with two more birdies at the back nine.
Malixi tees it up alongside Oh and United States’ Megha Ganne in the second round, eyeing a spot inside the cut line to advance to the final round on Saturday, April 4, at Augusta National.
This is her second Championship start in 2026, failing to compete last year due to a lower back injury.
She, however, failed to make the cut in her first appearance in 2024.
