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.
