See why Bandon Dunes is a perfect host for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur
Golf course architect David McLay Kidd on why Bandon Dunes, one of the most iconic courses in America, is the perfect fit for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
BANDON, Ore. — Rianne Malixi and Asterisk Talley can’t get enough of each other.
Last year, the duo faced off in the championship match of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Girls’ Junior, with Malixi taking both titles. It was the first time that happened in the history of the USGA.
Now, the duo are again on top at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur, sharing medalist honors at Bandon Dunes.
Malixi and Talley finished at 9-under 135 after two rounds of stroke play on the Oregon coast. Malixi shot 5-under 67 on Tuesday while Talley had a bogey-free 6-under 66. Talley, playing in the group behind Malixi, had an eagle attempt from about 20 feet on the last hole to win medalist honors on her own, but she settled for a birdie, and the duo who have become synonymous with each other are together yet again on the championship stage.
“It’s nothing new,” Talley joked after signing her scorecard.
“Earlier today, I saw Eila (Galitsky) finished 8 under, so I was like, I just have to shoot better than that. I wasn’t really trying to get medalist, I was just trying to play a good round.”
Compared to normal conditions at Bandon Dunes, the winds have been absent for a majority of stroke play outside of Monday afternoon, with plenty of red numbers scattered on the leaderboard for both waves on Tuesday, as players went low.
Vanessa Borovilos set a U.S. Women’s Amateur record with a 9-under 63 round, the best round in the history of the championship. There were numerous players in the 60s, with Malixi and Talley the only pair to card both rounds in the 60s.
“I was expecting the wind to pick up in the afternoon, but instead it got warmer,” Malixi said. “My ball actually flew further than what I expected today. It was a good setup for me, so (I) took advantage.”
Malixi is the first defending U.S. Women’s Amateur champion to win medalist honors since Beth Daniel did in 1976, a 49-year gap.
There will be a playoff come Wednesday morning to determine the match-play bracket, but it’s fitting the two players who had historic summers in 2024 at USGA events are pacing the field heading into match play at the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur.
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