Asterisk Talley, Rianne Malixi highlight 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinalists

Photo: Kathryn Riley/USGA
TULSA, Okla. — They’re calling the hogs in Northeast Oklahoma tonight.

A pair of Razorback teammates, only two hours from Fayetteville, Arkansas, are among the four semifinalists at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club.

However, the other two who won their quarterfinal matches on Friday are familiar names who have each won USGA events this year.

Two matches went extra holes Friday afternoon, and only one didn’t reach the 18th green. There were stellar showdowns across the board, and the Robert Cox Trophy is closer to being handed out.

Here’s everything you need to know from the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Maria Jose Marin makes another late comeback

Maria Jose Marin and her caddie/father, Jose Marin, discuss strategy on the first hole during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Another day, another late comeback by the medalist.

Maria Jose Marin, the medalist from stroke play, trailed Anna Davis 1 down entering the 18th hole. She hadn’t led for the entire match. On Thursday, Marin won 1 up on the final hole after a stellar comeback, and she’d need to do it again.

She made par on the difficult 18th, enough to secure a victory and force extra holes. Marin and Davis matched pars on the par-4 10th, the 19th hole. Then the same, matching pars on the par-3 11th.

But on the 12th is where Marin shined. She pounded a drive down the fairway and hit her approach in close. Meanwhile, Davis’ tee shot drifted left and bounced off a tree, backing herself into a corner. Then on her swing, she clipped a branch, and her ball splashed in the water a couple seconds later.

Marin, a rising sophomore at Arkansas, topped Davis in 21 holes to punch her spot in the semifinals. It wasn’t a brilliant day for Marin, who had plenty of ups and downs throughout the match, but she had enough juice when it mattered to pull through and survive.

“I came here with an objective and it was to make the cut and to have a good chance into match play,” Marin said. “As I’ve said a million times and I think I’m going to say it until the day I die, I never thought I was going to be a medalist and not even in the semifinals.”

One of the keys to Marin’s success this week has been her dad, Jose, on the bag. A constant ball of energy strolling the fairways, he’s his daughter’s biggest cheerleader and gets to be inside the ropes.

“This is my first U.S. Am and the first time that my dad is on the bag in a U.S. Am also. It’s just amazing that he’s there with me, cheering me on. Of course if I make a bad shot he’s not going to be happy, but it’s normal.

“I’m just really grateful that he’s with me. He knows me, and, well, I love him.”

Asterisk Talley’s incredible summer continues

Asterisk Talley plays her tee shot on the fourth hole during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

The summer of Asterisk continues.

Asterisk Talley, the 15-year-old from California, held on for a 1-up win against the NCAA individual champion Adela Cernousek, playing for the first time in match play on the 18th hole all week. The win moved Talley, the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion and 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior runner-up, to 14-1 in USGA match play events this season.

“It was tough out there,” Talley said. “I got 3 up going into 11, and then I feel like she just like kind of switched the momentum after making a long par putt on 11. After that, I was trying to keep the momentum on my side, keep trying to make birdies and pars, and it just wasn’t really working out. Toward the end I was trying to keep the match in my side, and I didn’t want it to get tied because then it would’ve been in her favor.

“And then just all the way to 18 and then just try and par, get the match done.”

Talley hit a great approach into the difficult par-4 18th green, rolling just into the back fringe with a back hole location lurking. Her opponent, Cernousek, found the middle of the green and while she missed her birdie and made a comfortable par, Talley needed to two putt from roughly 30 feet to win yet another match.

Her birdie look came within two feet of the cup, and Cernousek conceded the match from there.

“Just going into 18 today, you think like par is going to win the match. I mean, no one is really going to get up to that hole location, especially when it’s in the back, and make birdie,” Talley said.

“So I mean, if you can just par you might even win the hole. I feel like getting up to especially to the top deck and ending up to be within two feet was pretty good to end the match.”

Kendall Todd continues stellar play

Kendall Todd plays her approach shot on the 13th hole during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Kendall Todd wanted to play well in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. But even she can hardly believe she’s a semifinalist.

The rising senior at Arkansas is the second Hog in the semifinals, joining Marin, and also after extra holes. Todd topped Stanford junior Kelly Xu in 20 holes, making par on the par-3 11th hole to win.

“Obviously didn’t expect it, but it’s really good to hear,” she said of hearing her name as one of the final four.

One of the big reasons for Todd’s success this week has been her caddie, boyfriend Hayden Schutte. He was on the bag a couple weeks ago when Todd won the Porter Cup in Niagara Falls, and their chemistry shows on the course.

Even when they get off the course, Schutte does a good job of helping Todd relax after every round and breaking down the day’s performance.

“Definitely have to debrief after every round and go over everything to make it feel real after the round,” Todd said. “We talk about it all night until it settles in and we can come back the next day and do it again.”

Rianne Malixi is a buzzsaw in match play

Rianne Malixi plays her tee shot on the fourth hole during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

For as good as Talley has been in USGA match-play events, Malixi has dominated herself. In fact, Talley’s lone loss came to Malixi 20 days ago in the U.S. Girls’ Junior.

Malixi is moving on again, topping three-time U.S. Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist Catherine Rao 2 and 1. Although neither player had their “A” game, it was the 17-year-old from the Philippines, playing in her fourth Women’s Amateur, who is continuing to shine.

“I just happened to be a lot more patient than I usually am, so just stuck around there, kept on grinding, and just waited for putts to drop,” Malixi said. “They didn’t, but I was still grinding out.”

With her win Friday, Malixi is now 10-0 in USGA match play events in the last month. And, depending on the outcome of Saturday’s semifinals, there is some history on the line.

Malixi would be the second player ever to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same year, joining Eun Jeong Seong in 2016. If Talley and Malixi were to both advance, it would be the first time in USGA history for there to be a same championship match in the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur, not only in the same year, but all-time.

“Tomorrow just whatever happens, happens,” Malixi said. “Just try to stick to my game plan, my routine, and just try and hit targets.”

Saturday’s semifinal matchups

Kendall Todd celebrates after winning her match during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

No. 1 Maria Jose Marin vs. No. 5 Asterisk Talley, 8:30 a.m. ET

No. 18 Kendall Todd vs. No. 6 Rianne Malixi, 8:45 a.m. ET

TV information

Adela Cernousek plays an approach shot on the ninth hole during the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

All times ET

Saturday, Aug. 10: 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel
Sunday, Aug. 11: 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel