There’s still plenty of talk about who didn’t make the field in Naples, Florida.
NAPLES, Fla. — While nine players are making their debut at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, there’s still plenty of talk about who didn’t make the field.
Throughout the season, players earn points toward the Race to CME Globe, which is used not only to determine the field at Tiburon Golf Club but also to determine what kind of status – if any – players have for the next season.
The top 60 players and ties after The Annika driven by Gainbridge event qualified for the Tour Championship, which features a $7 million purse and $2 million payout to the winner.
Maria Fassi topped the list last year at 279 yards.
Maria Fassi topped the LPGA’s driving distance category last year with an average of nearly 280 yards. The year prior, Anne van Dam clocked in at 291 yards, a full six yards ahead of her nearest competitor.
As the women’s game gets longer, stronger and deeper with each passing year, it’s interesting to note that some of the most powerful players in the game also often happen to be ranked No. 1.
Conversely, there are a handful of names on this list that might be new to casual fans.
The LPGA tracks driving distance on two holes each week, and there are times when the holes selected are designed in such a way that promotes the longest players on tour to hit a fairway metal or hybrid. In other words, the numbers below could’ve been even higher.
Here’s a look at the biggest hitters on the LPGA over the past 20 years:
In a season that has delivered a record-tying 11 first-time champions, Corpuz could make it a dozen.
BELLEAIR, Fla. — Last year’s Pelican Women’s Championship delivered a showstopping leaderboard, and this year, thankfully, it’s more of the same. Marquee names like defending champion Nelly Korda (8 under) and Lexi Thompson (9 under) are hot on the heels of rookie Allisen Corpuz (10 under), who hasn’t won yet on tour but has played well enough to qualify for the CME Group Tour Championship.
In a season that has delivered a record-tying 11 first-time champions, Corpuz could make it a dozen, as could overnight leader Maria Fassi, who now trails by one.
Maja Stark, the young Swede who won the ISPS Hands World Invitational in Northern Ireland over the summer to earn her LPGA card, is also one back after a sizzling 63.
Corpuz decided about a month ago to withdraw from last week’s event in Japan in order to rest up for these last two events. The USC grad said longtime friend Megan Khang has been a huge help to her this year.
“Definitely before coming on tour I was expecting like to maybe really be working for my card,” said Corpuz, “and I’m really lucky that I’m not having to worry about that at this point.
“I think I know that I’m a really solid player, and it’s just really nice to have seen like the results this early.”
Stark has learned the importance of balance the hard way, getting sick several times after events. She had three weeks off coming into this week and barely touched a club due to inflammation in her shoulder. She then took a week off to help coach the Swedish national team in Spain.
“I’ve always seen a lot of the Swedes when they have come back and given back,” said Stark. “We had Anna Nordqvist at a couple camps, Pernilla Lindberg, Henrik Stenson.
“So after seeing them, and then a lot of times they go out and play really well the next time they’re out playing after meeting up with the girls’ team and stuff, so I think it was just good inspiration for me too, to see what they do and get some perspective and just have fun on a golf course and not feel the stress that I feel now.”
Lexi Thompson lines up a putt during the second round of the Pelican Women’s Championship at Pelican Golf Club on November 12, 2022, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Thompson, who recently won a LET event in New York but hasn’t won on the LPGA since 2019, posted a 67, hitting 12 fairways and 16 greens.
“There was a few pins out there that were tucked a little bit more than yesterday’s that I wasn’t as comfortable with,” said Thompson, “but I just kind of hit away from them and had about 20-, 25-footers.
“But gave myself looks, and that’s all I can do.”
Korda’s matching 66s have her in a share of fifth, two back. The former No. 1 won four times on the LPGA last season, including this event. She also won the LET in Spain but has yet to win on the LPGA this year after a blood clot that required surgery sidelined her for months. Both Thompson and Korda grew up in Florida and feel at home in Belleair.
“It’s been a tough year for sure,” said Korda. “I worked my butt off as well. I definitely put in a lot of hours, so it would just be hard work paying off, which everyone out here works really hard, so everything just has to click for someone to win that week.”
As for Fassi, she came to the LPGA carrying great expectations after a sterling amateur career but has yet to break through on the LPGA. Currently No. 130 in the world, a strong finish this week could vault Fassi into the CME. She’s currently 72nd on the points list. The top 60 qualify for the season-ending event that boasts a purse of $7 million and a winner’s check of $2 million.
Fassi followed her career-best 62 on Day 1 with a 1-under 69.
“I think it’s a lot about just kind of managing expectations and understanding that while a round like that (62) is very attainable,” said Fassi, “it also takes a lot of work, a lot of good shots, a lot of good putts made.
“So it’s not like everything was easy yesterday and it just magically happened. It was a lot of work. Maybe in a different way than today, but I think just really going back to my process on hitting good shots and trying to stay as present as possible. It’s of course easier said than done, but that was kind of my approach into today’s round.”
Maria Fassi is looking for her first win on the LPGA.
Maria Fassi is still looking for her first win on the LPGA. She’s in position to get No. 1 thanks to an opening-round bogey-free 8-under 62 at the weather-delayed Pelican Women’s Championship at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.
The 24-year-old used seven birdies (including a stretch of three straight on Nos. 5-7) and an eagle at the par-5 14th to earn a two-shot lead over five players, one of which is Lexi Thompson.
Fassi’s best finishes this season are two solo thirds, one at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July and the other at the Kroger Queen City Championship in September. Her last start came last week at the Toto Japan Classic where she ended the week in solo 70th.
Thompson’s round wasn’t blemish-free, as she bogeyed the par-4 second, but like Fassi, the 27-year-old had an eagle on the card at the par-5 seventh.
Lizette Salas is part of a pack at 5 under, while Jennifer Kupcho opened the Pelican with a 1-under 69.
The event has been shortened to 54 holes due to the impact of Hurricane Nicole.
Maria Fassi was in the final pairing for the first time.
Last week at the Dana Open, Maria Fassi teed off around the same time as compatriot Gaby Lopez – off the back nine. The open layout at Highland Meadows allowed Fassi to see more than a few fist-pumps and walk-in putts from her friend and fellow Razorback en route to victory.
One week later, Fassi found herself playing in the final group on Sunday for the first time in her career at the new Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
Fassi poured in three consecutive birdies on Nos. 10-12 to apply pressure to Ally Ewing and Xiyu Lin at Kenwood Country Club.
“I think it backfired,” said Fassi, “because I pissed them off a little bit too much.”
Ewing responded with five consecutive birdies on Nos. 12-16, and Lin made four birdies over the last seven holes.
Fassi’s closing 71 put her at 16 under for the tournament, six back of Ewing. The third-place finish marked Fassi’s career-best solo finish since she joined the tour in 2019.
Fassi came into the week ranked 96th on the CME points list and vaulted up to 67th. The top 100 keep their card for 2023 and the top 60 play in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
“It’s huge,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been with my back against the ropes all freaking year, so it’s pretty cool to at least, you know, be able to take a breather and be in a better place than I’ve been all year.”
Stacy Lewis and teammate Maria Fassi walk toward the fourth hole at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan. (Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Fassi birdied five of the last six holes on Friday to shoot 66 and carry great momentum into the weekend. She needed only 26 putts in the first two rounds and averaged 27 putts per round for the week, a significant improvement over her 30.28 average.
The soft conditions at Kenwood gave the explosive Fassi a distinct advantage, as she carried much of the trouble at the water-logged course. She averaged 300 yards off the tee for the week and leads the tour with a 278 average.
On Saturday, while wearing her Saturday Razorback red, Fassi unleashed a few fiery fist pumps of her own after holing a flop shot for eagle on the par-5 15th.
“I was in it,” said Fassi. “I was fighting. I told (my caddie) Gary on the 18th hole, I said, ‘We went down fighting.’ I got outplayed, and all I can do is clap and be happy for them.”
Coming into the week, Fassi had eight missed cuts in 13 starts on the season. Her lone top-30 finish came at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, where she played with partner Stacy Lewis for a second straight year and finished third.
In Cincinnati, with the clock running out on the season, Fassi tried not to make the week any “bigger than it already is.” The former NCAA champion came onto the LPGA shouldering great expectations but hasn’t yet lived up to her vast potential.
“I think there has been a lot of learning strategically,” said Fassi. “Definitely playing Dow with Stacy last couple of years has been huge for me, just to see the way she approaches the game and see what’s the difference and what got her to be No. 1 in the world and what got her to win so many tournaments.
“I think we’re trending in the right direction. I just got to keep doing that, keep doing me, and worry about the rest when it’s time for that.”
MADEIRA, Ohio – American Ally Ewing was welcomed with chants of “Let’s go Ally” as she approached the 18th green on Saturday at Kenwood Country Club as the 54-hole leader of the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship.
Ewing followed up Friday’s 8-under round of 64 with a 5-under 67 on Saturday, turning a two-shot deficit when the day started into a one-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round.
Ewing put together a precise round on Saturday, hitting 13 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens in regulation and had only one bogey on her scorecard.
“My mindset going into today was just to play within myself and go out, execute shots, and I did that really well,” Ewing said. “Unfortunate bogey on 18. It’s a tough hole and didn’t get a ball up and down. Really happy with how I played and how I handled myself and obviously in a good position for tomorrow.”
The 29-year-old leads the tournament at 16 under. On Sunday, Ewing will be playing for her third career LPGA Tour win.
“There is a ton of golf left,” said Ewing. “I mean, as far as excitement, this is exactly what you want to do, exactly where you want to be after 54 holes.
“I am really excited, but I know tomorrow is going to have its challenges, and I’m going to have to not get ahead of myself. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The woman on Ewing’s heels is 24-year-old Maria Fassi, who eagled the par-5 15th on Saturday to get to 15-under, alone in second place thanks to a 5-under round of 67.
On the 15th hole, Fassi said she was trying to reach the green with her second shot.
“The second shot didn’t quite come out as we were expecting,” Fassi said. “We were kind of saying that it was honestly the worst spot I could have left myself for my third shot, and my only thought was just try to hit it as high as you can.
“Of course, the result was extra, but I hit a fantastic golf shot and just very happy that it just went in and I could get some momentum for the last few holes.”
This is Fassi’s best position heading into a final round, still in search of her first career LPGA Tour win.
“I’ve said it with my team and the people around me know that this has been a tough year,” Fassi said. “But the golf was there. The golf has always been there, and it was just ‒ for me to believe that it was there, for me to see that I was actually able to hit the shots that I’m able to hit this week, it’s been a huge reward because I’ve worked harder than ever this last year and a half.
“I haven’t seen the results yet, so I’m super excited to see what tomorrow holds, and keep doing what we’re doing of having a lot of fun on the golf course with Gary. I’m just excited that we get 18 more holes to do it again.”
Xiyu Lin, the first-round leader on Thursday, sits in third place at 14 under, and she’s followed by a group of four women – Megan Khang, Sarah Kemp, Ariya Jutanugarn and Jeongeun Lee6 – at 12 under.
“I have nothing to lose and already have three good days, so I’m just going to keep being positive and keep chasing,” said Lin.
There has already been one 9-under round of 63, two 8-under rounds of 64 and a 7-under round of 65 this week. That leaves the possibility of some fireworks from the leaders on Sunday. Last week, Gaby Lopez won the Dana Open in Toledo by shooting a 63 in the final round.
The LPGA is moving Sunday’s tee times up earlier to try and avoid any potential weather later in the afternoon. The leaders will tee off at 9:42 a.m.
“I don’t think that you can play with joy or freedom if you don’t have a why.”
It was the spring of 1989, and Sally Quinlan headed to Sedona, Arizona, after a missed cut at the Nabisco Dinah Shore to spend time with her coach and friend, Lynn Marriott.
“I thought she was coming out to practice,” recalled Marriott. “I couldn’t get her out of the hammock.”
After three days of lounging, Marriott dumped two buckets of balls on the range, turned the baskets upside down and said to Quinlan, let’s talk.
“If you win the U.S. Women’s Open, are you happy?” asked Marriott. “What about two majors?”
Quinlan, a winner on tour who was inside the top 15 on the money list and miserable, said no. No matter what accolade Marriott threw out, Quinlan knew it wasn’t going to be enough. Her dream at the time was to own a home with someone she loved and to know where was going to be every Sunday. Maybe join a club.
“I’m going to cry just thinking about it,” said Quinlan more than 30 years later. “Just because you can juggle, doesn’t mean you have to join the circus.”
Quinlan had been afraid to say any of that out loud for fear of letting down her family, her team, and all of New England. Marriott was the first person she told who understood the tour, understood the grind and, in a way, made Quinlan feel like she had permission to leave.
The next year, at age 29, a fully exempt Quinlan walked away.
“She would later tell the story that it was the best thing that ever happened to her,” said Marriott, who along with Pia Nilsson co-founded Vision 54.
Marriott and Nilsson are, of course, in the business of helping players reach their potential, having worked with numerous World No. 1s. But first and foremost, they’re interested in what’s best for players as human beings.
Many professional golfers aren’t taught how to grapple with the big questions. This game of inches can be fine-tuned to death, and there’s no shortage of areas to improve.
But why do you play? What’s the intrinsic motivation for choosing this life?
LPGA players and sisters Moriya Jutanugarn and Ariya Jutanugarn pose on the red carpet with Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of Vison54 at the LPGA Rolex Players Awards at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples on November 17, 2016 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Nilsson and Marriott ask participants of their golf schools to fill out a sheet of paper titled “Spirt of Your Game.” They believe the spiritual component wraps around the physical, technical and emotional parts of the game. It’s the glue that holds everything together.
The Vision54 coaches want players to ask themselves “Why do I play?” And after each answer, ask “why?” again.
“There’s no bad answers to any of the questions,” said Nilsson. “But if you stop asking the question, things get hidden.”
And, as life changes, the answer to those fundamental questions change, too. Players will ultimately find, said Marriott, that it’s only the intrinsic motivation that’s sustainable.
For Stacy Lewis, the foundational love of the game and curiosity of how good she can be has never changed. But now, there are so many more answers to her why.
The ability to answer that question with something beyond trophies and paychecks, Lewis said, “determines how you play and how long you play.”
“You have to have a reason for why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Lewis said, “because it’s going to make you get out of bed each day and practice and take care of yourself and watch what you eat, stay in shape. Especially in women’s professional golf. There’s not a whole lot of people around to pull you out of the gutter.”
Brittany Altomare, the soft-spoken newlywed who acquired the nickname “Jesus” in her Solheim Cup debut because her putting was so divine, is an adrenaline junkie. While she may look meek, the rush of competition is what put her on track to the LPGA.
When Altomare first started dating her now husband Steven Stanislawzyk, she apologetically told him: “Golf comes first.”
As her destination wedding in Italy last fall drew near, however, 31-year-old Altomare could feel the priorities in her life begin to shift. She’d never felt more stressed as a result and started going to therapy with Stanislawzyk because she had trouble expressing it all.
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually shared that with anybody,” said a teary-eyed Altomare on the eve of the Pelican Women’s Championship last November.
With the desire to start a family looming, Altomare suddenly felt like her career was being rushed to the finish line. She wanted to be a wife and a mom, but she also wanted to win, something she has yet to do on the LPGA.
“You don’t know if you’ll ever get to come back,” she said of having kids, “or if you’ll ever be the same player.”
Altomare’s therapist helped her to slow down her racing mind. At last summer’s AIG Women’s British Open, Altomare had an epiphany, telling herself that she’d go back to making golf No. 1 for two years, give it her all and then reassess.
“I feel like I had my first experience of not being totally healthy in my mind this year,” said Altomare, who now, admittedly, looks at the phrase “mental health” differently these days.
Sandra Gal visits the Children’s Center that bears her name in Miami. (Courtesy: Sandra Gal)
When Sandra Gal turned pro, she said there was no “why” that she could articulate. She had the talent, and the tour seemed like the next logical step.
It wasn’t until Gal experienced her first tough season in 2010, three years in, that she first began asking herself the big questions.
It was then Gal realized that she’d been 100 percent focused on results. She called it a spiritual awakening.
“I realized if I myself moved around with a certain energy,” said Gal, “it would influence everyone around me. If I could play with more joy, and if I could make that the most important thing, then I knew I could actually inspire other people, or in some way lift up other people.”
Over the years, she’d fall back into chasing results. Gal realized that she needed to take it a step further and really let go of what happens inside the ropes.
“I love the game,” said Gal, “but I also think that it doesn’t really matter what you do – it’s how you do what you do, with what energy you do what you do.”
As Gal began to dive deeper into the discussion of mental health, she came across this definition of “spiritual health” from the Australian National University: “Not referring to any particular religious or spiritual practice or ideology but to the human need for meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than ourselves. It is a very diverse and often individualized aspect to health, giving context and meaning to all other parts of ourselves and our life experiences.”
The term mental health, Gal said, only skims the surface.
Golf Fore Africa was founded by LPGA Hall of Fame golfer Betsy King who witnessed first hand the terrible plight of AIDS orphans in Africa in 2006. She has enlisted the help of golfers worldwide to raise funds and awareness.
Betsy King dedicated her life to Christ on a retreat in January 1980. In a sense, she said, it felt like starting over. She had her worst year on tour that year, and an aunt said King had lost her edge because of her newfound faith.
When in fact, King had simply found her self-worth in something other than golf. At the start of the 1989 season in Jamaica, King asked God if she should go to Africa rather than play the tour. There wasn’t really a specific reason that Africa popped into her mind, but after 14 wins on tour, King was willing to walk away if she felt led to.
King began to realize that the more money she made and the bigger platform she built, the more she could do for the causes that mattered most to her. King shot 64 to win that first tournament in Jamaica and went on to win six times that season, including a U.S. Women’s Open.
The LPGA Hall of Famer ultimately won 34 titles on the LPGA and has now been to Africa more than two dozen times. Her Golf Fore Africa foundation, raises money to provide clean water to remote African villages. To date, King’s charity has raised close to $14 million.
Several players have traveled to Africa with King, including Lewis in 2010.
“Betsy kind of came along at a good time in my career,” said Lewis, “and helped me realize that with good golf, you can help a lot of people.”
Amy Olson, who has the Golf Fore Africa logo on her hat and bag, quotes runner Eric Liddell from the movie “Chariots of Fire” when talking about her why.
“I believe God made me for a purpose,” Liddell’s character says, “but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
That’s how Olson feels about golf. Pursuing a career on the LPGA, she said, is about being a good steward of the gift she’s been given.
At some point, Olson said, she’ll move to on to something else, but her why will never change. Everything she does points back to God.
“I think it’s fundamental,” said Olson. “I don’t think that you can play with joy or freedom if you don’t have a why. I would even say if you have the wrong why, you’ll play out of fear or the desire to make other people happy.”
Eventually, in the valley, most players will face a time of critical self-evaluation and ask themselves, “Why am I doing this?”
Amy Olson tees off the 14th hole during the Final Round of the KIA Classic at the Aviara Golf Club on March 28, 2021 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
For Sophia Popov, there came a point when she lost a lot of the love of the game and found herself competing because she had to make money.
“I think I lost some of that connection to the game,” said Popov.
Players of all ages struggle with tying their worth as an individual to golf scores. King did in the 70s and Cheyenne Woods only recently broke herself out of that mindset – and the putting yips – after seeking personal therapy for the first time. She’d been to sports psychologists in the past, but this time knew that she needed something more.
“It busted open the bubble I was living in,” she said.
Players don’t often speak about the loneliness that accompanies tour life, but it can impact even extroverted players like Maria Fassi, who had plenty of experience on a big stage prior to turning professional.
It took time for Fassi to find a group of friends on tour. Expectations, both internal and external began to mount for the powerful and engaging NCAA champ.
There were times early on that she asked herself: Is this really what I want to do?
“I didn’t have anybody on tour I trusted to go and talk to or go and cry with,” she said.
In time, a handful of players reached out to help, including veterans Angela Stanford and Lewis, a fellow Razorback, and the questions they asked Fassi and the time spent helped turn things around.
Last September, the 23-year-old Mexican launched the Maria Fassi Foundation and Fassi’s Friends, a series of inclusive and adaptable clinics that bring disabled and full-bodied kids together to learn the game of golf.
Fassi, inspired by a disabled cousin who took up golf around six years ago, knew that she needed a deeper “why” than the quest to win titles.
“I know personally,” said Fassi, “I needed just something bigger than myself to play for.”
Maria Fassi hits a tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Ariya Jutanugarn had that same conversation with herself after rising to No. 1 in the world. Did she want to stay there? She knew it would take more than the lure of trophies to make it worthwhile.
It was on a Monday at the 2017 CME Group Tour Championship that Jutanugarn told Nilsson and Marriott that it cost $350 to educate a child for an entire year at the schools she helps to fund. They gave her $350 on the spot.
Jutanugarn went on to win the CME and the U.S. Women’s Open the following year.
Nilsson and Marriott like to do an exercise with college golfers in which they ask, after you win, and you buy a house and a watch and a car and another watch, do you still want to play golf?
“We’re not wanting to burst a bubble,” said Marriott.
Some rules violations hit harder than others, while others just make you scratch your head.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all on the golf course, something else comes along to baffle fans, players, and rules officials alike.
The rules of golf can come up and bite you (pun intended: see fire ants below), if you’re not paying attention. Other times, weird things just happen. Further still, sometimes golfers simply don’t know a particular rule.
New rules of golf were rolled out on Jan. 1, 2019, but most of what trips golfers up continues to be of the tried-and-true variety.
As we get set to close out the year that was 2021, here’s a rundown of some of the memorable moments that involved rules violations.
Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio, Beth Ann Nichols, Adam Schupak and Adam Woodard contributed to this article.
Fassi was one of the last women standing in a thrilling battle for the Dubai Moonlight Classic title this past week in Dubai
Maria Fassi was one of the last women standing in a thrilling battle for the Dubai Moonlight Classic title this past week. Ultimately, Bronte Law shut the door with a well-timed eagle on her next-to-last hole and a stuffed approach shot on her last to edge Fassi, but it’s not the last you’ll hear of the fiery player from Mexico this year.
Fassi will tee it up Nov. 8-14 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, for the LPGA’s Pelican Women’s Championship, the final full-field event of the regular season and the next-to-last event on the LPGA’s 2021 schedule.
The tournament opportunity comes on the heels of what amounts to Fassi’s best finish this season. Since finishing 12th at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July, Fassi has had three top-25 finishes in five LPGA starts, which included a fifth-place finish at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. She also recently launched the Maria Fassi Foundation and Fassi’s Friends, a series of inclusive and adaptable clinics that bring disabled and full-bodied kids together to learn the game of golf.
By extending Fassi the exemption, tournament officials have assured her a spot in the field should she not qualify on her own. Stephanie Meadow was granted a sponsor exemption, too, along with Destiny Lawson, the 2021 North Florida PGA Women’s Section champion and assistant golf professional at Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club in Ocala, Florida.
“We are excited that Maria and Stephanie will be joining the field at the Pelican Women’s Championship,” said Marci Doyle, executive director of the Pelican Women’s Championship. “Maria has had a strong second half of her season and Stephanie is hoping to replicate her play at the 2020 Pelican Women’s Championship. They are outstanding players who also have a tremendous passion for growing the game.”
The Pelican Women’s Championship is in its second year on the LPGA schedule.
Bronte Law came out on top after a back-and-forth shootout under the lights at the Dubai Moonlight Classic.
It seemingly happened so fast. Bronte Law shut the door on what had been a back-and-forth shootout under the lights at the Dubai Moonlight Classic with an eagle on the 16th hole and an absolute dart on the par-3 17th (her last due to the shotgun start) that was so good, she didn’t even need to watch.
Maria Fassi, who looked on the brink of winning all day, surely didn’t know what hit her.
The day started with 19 players within six shots of the lead over the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club and ended with Law carding an 8-under 64 to claim her first victory on the Ladies European Tour. Law finished at 15 under for the 54-hole tournament, edging Fassi by one stroke.
Germany’s Esther Henseleit finished alone in third at 12 under.
“It’s a bit of a blur really,” said Law. “I just went out and was trying to post a number. I said to my caddie, Ken, yesterday, ‘Let’s go out and try to shoot 7 under tomorrow.’ And I’ve gone one better.
“It’s a bit surreal right now, actually,” she said. “I’m just so happy to be back here (in the winner’s circle). It’s been a while.”
This week marked Law’s seventh in a row. There was a time, she said, that she couldn’t play three in a row due to back pain.
“It’s hard when things aren’t going your way and you feel like the world is against you,” said Law, “but I’ve got a lot of people that have stuck by me, and I owe them a lot.”
Law, who was a hero at the 2019 Solheim Cup, didn’t make the 2021 European team.
“I don’t think people understand how hard it is to be an athlete and the scrutiny that you’re under,” said Law. “You question yourself at times, and it’s so hard to pull yourself back through that, but I’ve trusted the process and obviously it’s working.”
For a while, it looked like Fassi might be headed back to LPGA Q-Series this year. But the former NCAA champ from Arkansas pulled it together after surgery and a string of missed cuts to finish fifth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and T-15 at the Amundi Evian Championship. She’s currently 86th in the CME Rankings. The top 100 keep their cards for 2022.
“I think I played good golf all week,” said Fassi, who shot 63-71-68, “but Bronte shot 8 under today. It’s never nice to lose, but to lose when she played like that, she very much deserved to be crowned champion today.”
