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High hopes for Malixi in 1st LPGA drive
RIANNE Malixi hopes to make the most of her first foray in an LPGA Tour event, thrilled but determined to come out of the Mizuho Americas Open stronger and better.
The $2.75 million event, one of the biggest in the sport outside of the major championships, unfolds June 1 (Thursday) at the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey with the world’s leading players, led by this year’s two-time winners and current world No. 1 Jin Young Ko of Korea and No. 4 Lilia Vu of the US, bannering the field.
“Playing an LPGA event alongside the top pros would be a great opportunity for me to learn and gain experience,” said the ICTSI-backed Malixi, one of the invited players from the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) to the 12th leg of this year’s LPGA Tour.
The $2.75 million Americas Open event, one of the biggest in the sport outside of the major championships, will kick off on June 1 (Thursday) at the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, will provide the chance for 24 of the top AJGA players to compete alongside the 120-player LPGA field for their own individual title. Play will be under the Stableford scoring format. This marks the first time the LPGA and the AJGA have partnered to showcase the current stars competing with the future of the sport, paving the way for an unprecedented week of learning and access to inspire the next generation of LPGA Tour players. They get to pit talent and skills with the world’s best in the last two rounds.
This year’s LPGA’s two-time winners and current world No. 1 Jin Young Ko of Korea and No. 4 Lilia Vu of the US, headlines the field that includes world No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand and fellow major champions Brooke Henderson of Canada, Aussie Minjee Lee, 2021 US Women’s Open titlist Yuka Saso and former world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand.
The ICTSI-backed Malixi, a twotime AJGA winner who has won several titles on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, is coming off an impressive performance in a pro event, the Beaumont Emergency Hospital Open of the Women’s All Pro Tour, in Texas last week. In fact, she turned in the best final round score – 66 – to finish solo third in the 72hole championship.
“Nagpaalam na siya na lilipat na siya ng nationality. From the Philippines, punta na siya sa Côte d’Ivoire na kinukuha naman siya,” said Tolentino after getting a copy of Esteban’s letter.
Esteban last competed for the Philippines in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi with the women’s team foil team, which bagged a silver.
She was hoping to seek out a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, before she got sidelined by an ACL injury while representing the Philippines at the World Championship in Cairo, Egypt in July, 2022.
Before her injury, Esteban was training and preparing for international meets under legendary coach Andrea Magro.
Esteban even became the world’s no. 62, the highest rank ever reached by a Filipino fencer.
She managed to recover last January, after Esteban got the green light from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Edgar Eufemio.
But Esteban was cut from the national fencing team to the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia at that time.
For Esteban, this will mean a longer wait for her to be able to see action. The nearest tournament she can hope to join if she qualifies is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, once she completes her residency period.
