Rianne Malixi recovered from an early double bogey with a run of birdies to salvage a second straight 71 and a crack in the Girls Junior PGA Championship at the Cog Hill’s Ravine in Illinois.
The 16-year-old Filipina remains just a stroke behind joint leaders Kiara Romero and fellow American Julia Misemer.
Misemer birdied 9 at resumption of her second round Thursday to seize the halfway lead on134 after a 70, but scrambled for a 72 in the third round.
That enabled Romero to tie her on 10-under 206 following a 67.
Malixi, whose campaign is backed by ICTSI, sit on 207 while American Kaitlyn Schroeder stood just another stroke back on 208 despite a 73.
Angela Liu carded a 70 to wrest solo fifth on 210, four strokes off the joint leaders.
After an opening birdie, Malixi bogeyed 3 and dropped two shots on 6.
But the two-time American Junior Golf Association tour winner and twice champion on the ladies pro circuit back home fought back with back-to-back birdies from 8 and gained another stroke on 11 to get back into the mix of things.
She, however, muffed birdie chances from close range on 15 and 17.
Misemer and Malixi are going for the win ahead of their stints in the US Women’s Amateur that blasts off on 8 August at Chambers Bay at University Place, Washington.