World No. 7 Lydia Ko Commits to Pelican Women’s Championship, Now Featuring Eight of the Top-10 in the World
(BELLEAIR, Fla.) – Tournament officials announced today that Maria Fassi and Stephanie Meadow will receive sponsor exemptions to compete in the 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship presented by Konica Minolta and Raymond James, taking place November 8-14 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.
“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.”
Fassi and Meadow, if not otherwise eligible, will receive the final two sponsor exemptions into the Pelican Women’s Championship, the final full-field regular season event for the 2021 LPGA Tour season. They will be joining previously announced sponsor exemption participant Destiny Lawson, the 2021 North Florida PGA Women’s Section champion and assistant golf professional at Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club in Ocala, Fla.
Also announced today, former World No. 1 (currently No. 7) and multiple major champion Lydia Ko has committed to the Pelican Women’s Championship. Ko has nine top-10 finishes in 18 events played in 2021, including a victory at the LOTTE Championship and three runner-up finishes. She most recently finished T3 at the BMW Ladies Championship.
With Ko’s entry into the field, eight of the top-10 in the world are now entered into the Pelican Women’s Championship, the final full-field event of the 2021 LPGA Tour season. Joining them in the field are previous commitments Jin Young Ko (World No. 1), Nelly Korda (No. 2), sister Jessica, 2020 champion Sei Young Kim, major champions Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson, and fan favorites/Tampa Bay area residents Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Altomare.
Fassi, 23, has enjoyed a resurgence in her play during the second half of the 2021 season, highlighted by her best finish as a professional this week at the Dubai Moonlight Classic on the Ladies European Tour, finishing runner-up at 14-under par. Since finishing 12th at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July, Fassi has three top-25 finishes on the LPGA Tour, including a fifth-place finish at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. Off the golf course, Fassi 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. Fassi was a four-time All-American at the University of Arkansas and two-time winner of the Annika Award, recognizing the most outstanding female college golfer.
Meadow, 29, recorded her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour at the 2020 Pelican Women’s Championship with a T3 finish. Meadow, from Northern Ireland, along with Fassi is a two-time Olympian, finishing 7th in the women’s golf competition in August at the 2021 Summer Olympics. The two-time Symetra Tour winner and 2015 Heather Farr Perseverance Award winner for her resilience after the passing of her father, has made the cut in 10 of 19 events in 2021, highlighted by a 6th place finish at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Meadow was University of Alabama’s first four-time first-team All-American, and left Alabama as the career record holder in most every category, including nine victories – three times more than anyone else in school history.
If not otherwise eligible for the field, Fassi and Meadow will be joining Lawson as sponsor exemptions into the Pelican Women’s Championship.
Lawson, the reigning North Florida PGA Women’s Section Champion, Ocala native and current assistant golf professional at Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club, captured the North Florida, PGA Women’s Section Championship in September with a 2-under par finish and a seven-stroke victory at Streamsong’s Blue Course. Lawson turned pro in April after a standout college career at Ferris State University, where she graduated in 2020. She made her LPGA debut in May at the Pure Silk Championship after advancing through the tournament’s Monday Qualifier. Lawson is an ambassador for Mackenzie’s Moment, a non-profit organization that offers hope and opportunity to women and children in need through health, education and welfare initiatives within the city of Ocala.
The 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship made its debut in 2020 without spectators and will welcome fans to Pelican Golf Club for the first time, featuring a field of 108 players competing over 72 holes for a share of the $1.75 million purse. Sei Young Kim captured the inaugural Pelican Women’s Championship in 2020 by three strokes at 14-under par, her 12th victory on the LPGA Tour.
Tickets are on sale for the 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship exclusively online at www.PelicanLPGA.com. A variety of ticket packages are available, including exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, military members (active, reserve, retired and veterans) will gain free access to the tournament grounds all week. Children under the age of 18 gain free admittance with a paid adult.
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