Rianne Malixi and Asterisk Talley are making the job of amateur golf fans easy. Who was in the final of the U.S. Girls’ Junior three weeks ago? Malixi and Talley. Who advanced on Saturday to the final of the U.S. Women’s Amateur?
Malixi and Talley.
Who will win the rematch?
That answer will materialize Sunday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Let’s start first, though, with how they got there. In the semis, Malixi won 1-up over Kendall Todd, while Talley moved on after Maria Jose Marin conceded the match on the 15th hole due to a left leg injury — and the victories unlocked a first. According to the USGA, it’s the first time two finalists will play against each other in multiple USGA championship bouts.
Notably, due to expected poor weather on Sunday in the area, Malixi and Talley then played the first 18 holes of their 36-hole final on Saturday, and Talley jumped to a 1-up advantage. For Talley, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, the lead continued a strong year. She won the Sage Valley Junior Invitational (where Malixi finished runner-up) and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball alongside partner Sarah Lim. She also shared low-amateur honors at the U.S. Women’s Open and finished eighth at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
In the semi against Marin, the stroke-play medalist and a University of Arkansas golfer, Talley rallied early in the back nine before an unfortunate moment struck. Talley won the 11th hole to tie the match, then the 12th to go 1-up, before Marin dropped to her knees on her approach shot on the 13th hole. She conceded two holes later.
“It extended more than it should and hurt really bad,” Marin told the USGA. “Like something wasn’t broken, but like something was wrong there. I just went to the ground and couldn’t move. It’s, of course, painful because I wanted to be in the finals so badly. And after getting to this point, I knew I was capable of doing something better. But I looked at my dad [and caddie] and just said, ‘I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.’ And he was like, ‘OK, just take care of yourself.’”
Malixi, meanwhile, also added to a strong year. The 2025 Duke University commit won the Malixi-Talley matchup at the U.S. Girls Junior, then edged Todd in the semifinal. The final three holes were electric. Todd, also a University of Arkansas golfer, won the 16th to go 1-up. Malixi then birdied the 17th to square the match, and the 18th to win.
From there, Malixi and Talley kept going, both playing well.
In the final, Talley birdied the 1st to go 1-up. Malixi won holes 3, 4 and 5 to go 2-up. Talley won holes 6, 7 and 8 to go 1-up, and she eventually raised her advantage to 3-up — before Malixi won holes 13, 15 and 16 to square the match again.
But Talley then won 17, and she’ll start Sunday with the 1-up lead.
“I feel like that I’m never out of it,” Talley said on Golf Channel. “… But [I need] to not think I have the win tomorrow. I mean, obviously, it’s anyone’s game tomorrow. And I feel like just to hit fairways and greens again and I feel like just doing the same thing I’ve done today and all week is probably going to work tomorrow.”
The Amateur will conclude Sunday, and it can be watched on Golf Channel starting at 3 p.m. ET.
