Malixi, Duke Sweep Landfall Tradition Titles

Friday, October 23

Wilmington, N.C.

Duke University

Landfall Tradition

Day One Results Day Two Results Day Three Results

Photo by: Andy Mead

10/25/2026 9:13:00 PM | Women's Golf

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – Sophomore Rianne Malixi and the Duke women's golf team swept both the individual and team titles this weekend at the Landfall Tradition, which was contested at the 6,265-yard, par-72 Country Club of Landfall – Dye Course in Wilmington.

Malixi, a product of Manila, Philippines, turned in rounds of 68, 64 and 72 over three days to shoot a 12-under, 204, and win the individual title by nine strokes. It marked her second collegiate win and first of the 2026-27 campaign.

As a team, the Blue Devils led wire to wire, turning in scores of 286, 290 and 293 to win by eight strokes with a 5-over, 869. It was the sixth time Duke won the Landfall Tradition and the first since 2023 (2009, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023). Senior Katie Li carded a 1-over, 217, to finish tied for fifth and register her third top-five placement of the season and fourth top-10 finish.

Duke closed the fall season with back-to-back victories for the first time since October 2018, when the Blue Devils also won the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational and the Landfall Tradition.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND THREE

Entering the final round with a 10-stroke advantage on the individual leaderboard, Rianne Malixi opened the morning with six pars in a row. She then birdied No. 7, but dropped shots on No. 8 and No. 10. Malixi collected back-to-back birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 to get to 1-under. On the par-5 12th, her 50-foot eagle putt struck the flagstick, leaving her a birdie putt. Malixi had a penalty on No. 16 and dropped two shots, but chipped in for birdie on No. 18 to finish with an even-par, 72. She hit 11 fairways, 12 greens and had 30 putts. Malixi won the title by nine strokes ahead of Macy Pate of Wake Forest (213).
Katie Li continued her outstanding play this week as she turned in rounds of 69, 76 and 72 to finish tied for fifth with a 1-over, 217. In Sunday's final round, Li parred the first five holes and then used her 58-degree wedge from 35 yards away on the par-5 sixth hole to chip to five feet for birdie. She dropped a shot on No. 9 to make the turn at even-par, 36. Li, who hails from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on the 332-yard, par-4 No. 11 to get back under par. She closed with four pars, two bogeys and a chip-in birdie from 12 yards on No. 18.
With her seventh round of even par or better of the season, rookie Mia Hammond closed strong with an even-par, 72. She tied for 30th with a 9-over, 225. In the final round, Hammond opened her day on hole No. 3. She was 2-under through 11 holes with birdies on No. 6 and No. 7. Hammond, a product of New Albany, Ohio, hit her 58-degree wedge from 80 yards to three feet for birdie on No. 6 and then rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on No. 7. She dropped shots on No. 14 and No. 16, but drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 18 before closing with a par and a bogey. Hammond hit 16 greens and 12 fairways.
Freshman Martina Navarro Navarro and sophomore Avery McCrery each signed for a 77. Navarro Navarro concluded the weekend tied for 36th with a 10-over, 226. McCrery tied for 41st with an 11-over, 227.
Seeing action as an individual this week, Carla De Troia turned in an 80 in the final round and tied for 36th overall with a 54-hole total of 10-over-par, 226.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND TWO

The Blue Devils carded a 2-over, 290, in the second round and remained in the lead by six strokes ahead of SMU (582). Duke had signed for rounds of 286 and 290 for an even-par, 576.
Duke was paced Saturday by Rianne Malixi, who collected a Landfall Tradition-record 8-under, 64. The score was tied for the sixth-lowest 18-hole score in Blue Devil history. Malixi opened her morning with birdies on three of her first four holes to get to 3-under. She made putts of four feet, 13 feet and four feet to get off to a hot start. Malixi made a bogey on No. 8 and headed into the back nine with a 2-under, 34. She produced one of the most impressive nine-hole stretches in program history, shooting a 6-under, 30, en route to shooting 8-under, 64. Malixi birdied holes 10-13, 15, 16 and 18 to go along with a par on No. 14 and a bogey on No. 17. She hit 17 greens, 13 fairways and rolled 27 putts.
Martina Navarro Navarro was 3-over-par during her first nine holes Saturday, but closed with an even-par, 36, on the back nine with birdies on No. 12 and No. 15. On the par-5 No. 12, she was near the green before chipping to seven feet for birdie. Navarro Navarro registered a 10-foot birdie on the 340-yard, par-4 No. 15 en route to finishing with a 3-over, 75. She posted 29 putts on the day.
Katie Li turned in a 4-over, 76, and entered the final round tied for 10th on the individual leaderboard. After a tough start that left her 4-over through six holes, Li drained a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 7. She played the final nine holes at even par with a chip-in birdie on the 360-yard, par-4 No. 10.
With pars on each of her first six holes, Avery McCrery had a solid start, but then double-bogeyed No. 7. She parred four of her next five holes to go along with a bogey on No. 12. McCrery drained a 15-footer for birdie on No. 15, bogeyed No. 16 and parred the final two holes to sign for a 75. She hit 15 greens on the day.
After three pars, Mia Hammond hit her pitching wedge from 112 yards to three feet for birdie on hole No. 4. She dropped four shots over the next four holes but settled down and played holes 9-14 at 2-under-par, as she went for the green in two from 207 yards and got up-and-down for birdie. Hammond was 3-over during her final four holes and finished with a 76.
Carla De Troia opened with a 3-under-par score through 12 holes with birdies on No. 3, No. 6 and No. 12. She closed the final six holes at 5-over to finish with a 74 as an individual.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND ONE

Duke opened action with the only under-par score in Friday's first round by carding a 2-under, 286, and led by two strokes over Alabama (288).
Rianne Malixi and Katie Li paced the Blue Devils in round one, totaling scores of 68 and 69, respectively.
Malixi turned in a bogey-free round with four birdies to tie for the individual lead at 4-under, 68, along with Marie Madsen of NC State. She opened the day by sinking an 8-foot birdie on No. 1 and then parred the next 10 holes. Malixi rolled in birdie putts of 10 feet and 18 feet on No. 12 and No. 13 to move to 3-under and then closed the day with a two-putt birdie from 18 feet on No. 18. She hit 17 greens, 12 fairways and rolled 31 putts.
Li had a quick start, recording birdies on No. 1, No. 4 and No. 7 to get to 3-under. She sank a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 1, reached the No. 4 green in two and two-putted from 38 feet for birdie and then hit her 58-degree wedge from 65 yards to five feet for birdie on No. 7. Li dropped shots on No. 8 and No. 10, but came back on the par-5 No. 12 to hit her 5-iron from 212 yards to the front of the green and chipped to three feet for birdie. She rolled in a 13-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to return to 3-under, but bogeyed No. 17. Li closed strong, reaching the par-5 No. 18 green in two with a 6-iron from 179 yards before two-putting for birdie to finish with a 69. She hit 16 greens on the day and was tied for third overall.
Martina Navarro Navarro signed for a 2-over, 74, and was tied for 28th after day one. She dropped a pair of shots on No. 2 early, but came back to stick her approach on the 512-yard, par-5 sixth to seven feet from 71 yards away for birdie. Navarro Navarro then played the next 11 holes at 2-over with bogeys on No. 12 and No. 14. She closed the day with a nice chip and a birdie putt to finish with a 74.
Avery McCrery closed strong Friday, playing her final seven holes at 2-under-par with birdies on No. 12, No. 16 and No. 18. She hit her 60-degree wedge from 45 yards to four feet on No. 12, rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on No. 16 and drained a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18. McCrery hit 14 greens on the day, finishing with a 75.
Mia Hammond was limited without a birdie until the 18th hole. She went for the No. 18 green in two from 233 yards and was able to get up and down for birdie as she turned in a 5-over, 77.
Playing as an individual, junior Carla De Troia was 3-under-par through 12 holes with birdies on No. 3, No. 6 and No. 8. She closed with three bogeys and three pars to finish with an even-par, 72. De Troia posted a team-best 27 putts on the day.

NOTES

Duke led the field with a 15-under-par score on par-5 holes and 47 birdies.
The 47 birdies were a season high for the Blue Devils in a tournament.
Rianne Malixi totaled a tournament-best 4-under-par score on par-4 holes and a 7-under score on par-5 holes. She also led the field with 18 birdies.
Malixi now owns 15 rounds in the 60s in 12 career tournaments at Duke. She also owns 26 career rounds of even par or better.
Katie Li collected her 18th career round in the 60s and 43rd round of even par or better as a Blue Devil.
The victory for Duke head coach Dan Brooks was the 147th of his career. It marked the 30th time Brooks has led the Blue Devils to two or more tournament wins over his 43 seasons at Duke.
Duke claimed the team title ahead of top-ranked Wake Forest (877), South Carolina (877), Florida State (886) and SMU (887).

QUOTES

"I'm really ecstatic with how the team has played the past two weeks. It inspired me how much hard work everyone has put in and the results showed that. The collective effort on and off the course makes it very encouraging for me to just play free golf." -- Duke sophomore Rianne Malixi
"This tournament was another example of what Coach Whithaus and I have been most excited about with this team this fall -- their ability to handle tough conditions. The wind blew like crazy all tournament, and the greens were very fast and firm. It was difficult golf. This was not an easy tournament to win by any stretch. We're real proud of them." – Duke head coach Dan Brooks

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