They went through to the Women’s Amateur final – and there were people going into the history books

Rianne Malixi and Asterisk Talley make it easy for novice golf fans. Who was in the US Girls’ Junior final three weeks ago? Malixi and Talley. Who advanced to Saturday’s US Women’s Amateur final?

Malixi and Talley.

Who will win the rematch?

That answer will take place Sunday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Well, let’s start with how they got there. In the semis, Malixi won 1 over Kendall Todd, and Talley advanced after Maria Jose Marin left the game at the 15th hole due to a left leg injury – and the victory opened the first. According to the USGA, this is the first time the two finalists have played against each other in multiple USGA championships.

Notably, due to the inclement weather expected on Sunday in the area, Malixi and Talley then played the first 18 holes of their 36-hole final on Saturday, with Talley jumping to 1 up. For Talley, a 15-year-old high school senior, the lead continued a strong year. She won the Sage Valley Junior Invitational (where Malixi finished second) and the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner Sarah Lim. She also shared the individual medals at the US Women’s Open and finished eighth at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

In the semis against Marin, the stroke medalist and University of Arkansas golfer, Talley got up early in the ninth before a bad moment came. Talley won the 11th hole to tie the match, then the 12th to go 1-up, before Marin fell to his knees as he approached the 13th tee shot. He dropped two holes later.

“It’s extended beyond what it should have been and it’s very painful,” Marin told the USGA. “As if something is not broken, but as if something is wrong there. I just sank to the ground and couldn’t move. It’s really sad because I really wanted to enter the finals. And after reaching this point, I realized that I can do something better. But I looked at my father [and caddie] and he just said, ‘I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.’ And he was like, ‘Okay, take care of yourself.’

Malixi, on the other hand, has had a strong year. The 2025 Duke University commit won the Malixi-Talley tournament at the US Girls Junior, then edged Todd in the semifinals. The last three holes were electric. Todd, also a University of Arkansas golfer, went 16 to 1 over. Malixi then drove the 17th to tie the game, and the 18th to win.

From there, Malixi and Talley continued, both played well.

In the final, Talley hit a 1-for-1 pitch. Malixi won holes 3, 4 and 5 to go 2-up. Talley won holes 6, 7 and 8 to go 1 up, and eventually extended his advantage to 3 up – before Malixi won holes 13, 15 and 16 to pull back into the match.

But Talley went on to win 17, and will start Sunday with a 1-up lead.

“I feel like I never got out of it,” Talley said on the Golf Channel. “… But [I need] not to think that I won tomorrow. I mean, obviously, it’s everybody’s game tomorrow. And I feel like I’m hitting the fairways and the greens again and I feel like I’m doing the same thing that I did today and the rest of the week will probably work tomorrow. “

The Amateur will conclude on Sunday, and can be viewed on the Golf Channel starting at 3 pm ET.

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for planning, writing and promoting news on the golf course. And when he’s not writing about how to hit the golf ball forward and straight, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash down his scores. You can contact him about any of these topics – his news, his game or his beer – at nick.piastowski@golf.com.