Rianne Malixi added another milestone to her growing résumé after being named the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Division I Freshman of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
The standout rookie from Duke University delivered one of the most impressive debut campaigns in program history, emerging as a consistent force for the Blue Devils throughout the collegiate season.
Malixi, a native of Manila, posted a stellar 70.61 stroke average across eight tournaments while collecting one tournament title, five top-five finishes, and seven top-20 placements. She also recorded 18 rounds at even par or better, including 10 rounds in the 60s.
Her strong play carried over into the spring season, where she finished a combined 40-under-par in six stroke-play events. Malixi likewise shone in match play, going undefeated in four contests during the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play and the NCAA Championship.
The Filipina rookie capped off her season with a standout performance at the NCAA Championship, where she placed third overall after firing a 9-under-par 279. She submitted rounds of 73, 69, 68, and 69, becoming only the second Duke golfer to register three consecutive rounds in the 60s at the national tournament.
Malixi also etched her name into Duke’s record books. Her 70.61 scoring average stands as the second-lowest single-season mark in school history and the best ever by a Blue Devil freshman. She matched program legend Leona Maguire’s single-season mark of 121 birdies and tied for the second-most rounds in the 60s in school history.
With the honor, Malixi became the fifth player under longtime Duke head coach Dan Brooks to receive the WGCA National Freshman of the Year award, joining Beth Bauer, Brittany Lang, Amanda Blumenherst, and Maguire.
The WGCA Freshman of the Year award is presented annually to the top first-year player in NCAA Division I women’s golf.
