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Blue Devil Trio Advance to Match Play at U.S. Women’s Amateur
8/6/2025 11:49:00 AM | Women's Golf
BANDON, Ore. – The Duke women's golf trio of Rianne Malixi, Avery McCrery and Andie Smith advanced to match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur Tuesday following 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon.
An incoming freshman from Manila, Philippines, Malixi earned the top seed heading into match play as she tied for first in stroke play with rounds of 68 and 67 for a 9-under, 135. Malixi finished tied with Asterisk Talley, who posted scores of 69 and 66 for a 135.
It marked the first time a defending champion has claimed medalist honors since Beth Daniel achieved the mark in 1975-76.
"I was looking at the morning scores and there were some pretty low scores out there," said Malixi. "But I was expecting the wind to pick up in the afternoon. Instead, it got warmer, so my ball actually flew further than what I expected. I think, give or take, it was a good set up for me, so I took advantage of it."
In the round of 64 of match play, Malixi will go up against the No. 64 seed at 5:40 p.m. (ET).
Smith, a Duke graduate who has one season of eligibility remaining in Durham, posted rounds of 70 and 72 to finish tied for 33rd, while McCrery, a rising freshman, placed tied for 43rd with a 1-under-par, 143, with scores of 70 and 73.
After firing a bogey-free, 68, in round one, Malixi led the field with a 4-under score and then followed that up with a 5-under, 67, Tuesday with seven birdies. Malixi defeated Talley, 3&2, a year ago to claim the 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur crown.
Seeing action in her third U.S. Women's Amateur, Smith tallied two birdies and an eagle in round one to shoot a 2-under, 70, and then posted four birdies in the second round en route to finishing with an even-par, 72. Smith, the No. 37 seed from Hobe Sound, Fla., will face Amelie Zalsman, the No. 28 seed, at 4:50 p.m. (ET), in the round of 64.
McCrery, a native of Wilmington, Del., played the final 15 holes of the first round at 3-under-par as she shot a 70 in the first round, before being limited to one birdie on the second day as she closed with a 73. She is seeded No. 43 and faces No. 22 seed Anna Davis Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. (ET) in match play. McCrery qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2025 for the first time in her career.
The Golf Channel is set to air coverage of the first round of match play from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday.
Duke has four golfers who have won the U.S. Women's Amateur. Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2003 at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., while Amanda Blumenherst won in 2008 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore., Hannah O'Sullivan won in 2015 at the Portland Golf Club in Portland, Ore., and Malixi won in 2024 at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
An incoming freshman from Manila, Philippines, Malixi earned the top seed heading into match play as she tied for first in stroke play with rounds of 68 and 67 for a 9-under, 135. Malixi finished tied with Asterisk Talley, who posted scores of 69 and 66 for a 135.
It marked the first time a defending champion has claimed medalist honors since Beth Daniel achieved the mark in 1975-76.
"I was looking at the morning scores and there were some pretty low scores out there," said Malixi. "But I was expecting the wind to pick up in the afternoon. Instead, it got warmer, so my ball actually flew further than what I expected. I think, give or take, it was a good set up for me, so I took advantage of it."
In the round of 64 of match play, Malixi will go up against the No. 64 seed at 5:40 p.m. (ET).
Smith, a Duke graduate who has one season of eligibility remaining in Durham, posted rounds of 70 and 72 to finish tied for 33rd, while McCrery, a rising freshman, placed tied for 43rd with a 1-under-par, 143, with scores of 70 and 73.
After firing a bogey-free, 68, in round one, Malixi led the field with a 4-under score and then followed that up with a 5-under, 67, Tuesday with seven birdies. Malixi defeated Talley, 3&2, a year ago to claim the 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur crown.
Seeing action in her third U.S. Women's Amateur, Smith tallied two birdies and an eagle in round one to shoot a 2-under, 70, and then posted four birdies in the second round en route to finishing with an even-par, 72. Smith, the No. 37 seed from Hobe Sound, Fla., will face Amelie Zalsman, the No. 28 seed, at 4:50 p.m. (ET), in the round of 64.
McCrery, a native of Wilmington, Del., played the final 15 holes of the first round at 3-under-par as she shot a 70 in the first round, before being limited to one birdie on the second day as she closed with a 73. She is seeded No. 43 and faces No. 22 seed Anna Davis Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. (ET) in match play. McCrery qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2025 for the first time in her career.
The Golf Channel is set to air coverage of the first round of match play from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday.
Duke has four golfers who have won the U.S. Women's Amateur. Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2003 at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., while Amanda Blumenherst won in 2008 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore., Hannah O'Sullivan won in 2015 at the Portland Golf Club in Portland, Ore., and Malixi won in 2024 at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
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