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.”
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.”
