Rianne Malixi withdraws due to back injury

Rianne Malixi withdraws from this year's Augusta National Women's Amateur due to a back injury that occurred four holes into her practice round at Champions Retreat.

Malixi, the reigning US Women's Amateur and US Girls' Junior champion and ranked No. 4 in the world, felt it was best to fully recover rather than risk further injury.

The tournament features an elite field including defending champion Lottie Woad and other leading amateurs like Jasmine Koo and Mirabel Ting.

Thirty-three players will make their Augusta debut this year, with notable newcomers such as Korea's Soomin Oh (No. 8) and Minseo Jung (No. 38), who have impressive resumes in amateur golf tournaments.

The tournament, which spans four days over three courses, highlights the growing international presence of women's amateur golf, with players from Thailand, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the US among those competing.