Rianne Malixi separated herself from the field with a second-round 64 at the Landfall Tradition, helping Duke extend its team advantage from two strokes to six.
The ninth-ranked Malixi followed her opening 68 with an eight-stroke improvement on that score’s nearest second-round challenger among the supplied leaders, reaching 132 through 36 holes. South Carolina’s Eila Galitsky sits second at 142.
Duke posted a 290 for a 576 total, while SMU moved from fifth to second with a 289 to reach 582. Kentucky and South Carolina share third at 584, followed by top-ranked Wake Forest at 587.
Rianne Malixi opens commanding individual lead
Duke sophomore Rianne Malixi
Malixi began the day tied with NC State’s Marie Madsen but finished it 10 strokes clear of her nearest pursuer.
Her 64 improved on her opening score by four strokes and transformed a crowded individual leaderboard into a commanding advantage heading into the final round.
Galitsky climbed 26 places with a 68, improving by six strokes to take sole possession of second.
Auburn’s Anna Davis and SMU’s Yoonjeong Huh share third at 143. Davis added a 71 to her opening 72, while Huh returned a 70 after starting with a 73.
Madsen shot 76 to join Alabama’s Alvilda Wiberg, Florida State’s Alexandra Gazzoli, Wake Forest’s Macy Pate and Kentucky’s Cathryn Brown in a five-way tie for fifth at 144.
South Carolina moves into contention
South Carolina made the strongest second-round move among the leading teams, shooting 287 to climb five places into a share of third.
SMU also improved its position, cutting four strokes from its opening 293. Huh’s rise into the individual top three helped put the Mustangs closest to Duke.
Kentucky followed its opening 291 with a 293, while Wake Forest slipped to fifth after a 297.
Round 1: Duke on top, Madsen leads individually
Duke took a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Landfall Tradition, with Rianne Malixi and Katie Li both inside the top three individually.
The sixth-ranked Blue Devils posted a 286 to finish ahead of No. 19 Alabama on 288. Top-ranked Wake Forest sits third at 290, followed by Kentucky at 291 and SMU at 293.
Malixi’s opening 68 earned her a share of the individual lead alongside NC State’s Marie Madsen, while Li is one stroke behind after a 69.
Rianne Malixi and Katie Li set Duke’s pace
Rianne Malixi and Katie Li gave Duke a strong foundation, combining for 137 strokes to help the Blue Devils secure the early advantage.
Malixi, ranked ninth in the supplied individual standings, matched Marie Madsen for the lowest score of the opening round. Li shares third with Alabama’s Alvilda Wiberg, whose 69 helped keep the Crimson Tide within two strokes of Duke.
With just five strokes separating the leading four teams, the opening round left a closely contested team leaderboard heading into Round 2.
Wake Forest’s challenge was led by Macy Pate, who returned a 70 to sit two strokes off the individual lead.
Five players share fifth
Kentucky’s Cathryn Brown, UNCW’s Valencia Chang, Florida State’s Alexandra Gazzoli and UNCW individual entrant Minouche Rooijmans joined Macy Pate in a five-way tie for fifth at 70.
That leaves nine players within two strokes of Marie Madsen and Rianne Malixi.
Chang and Rooijmans gave UNCW two representatives among the leading individuals, although Rooijmans is competing independently of the team scoring.
Preview
The Landfall Tradition, one of the fall's strongest women's college stops, gets underway Friday on the Pete Dye Course at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, North Carolina. UNC Wilmington hosts the 54-hole event, which runs Oct. 23-25 with team (best four of five scores each round) and individual titles on the line.
Eighteen teams are in the field: Wake Forest, Auburn, Duke, South Carolina, Florida State, Alabama, Kentucky, NC State, SMU, Kent State, USF, Indiana, UCF, North Carolina, Michigan State, Clemson, host UNCW and East Carolina. Opening-round tee times run from 8:30 a.m. to 10:09 a.m.
The Pete Dye layout plays to par 72 at 6,165 yards for the week.
The Landfall has a long history of tight finishes. South Carolina won it in a scorecard playoff in 2016, Duke took a rain-shortened edition in 2017, and in 2024 Florida State's Lottie Woad, then the world's top-ranked amateur, earned a share of the individual title.
Follow along: Live scoring (Clippd)