Heading into this week, only Stacy Lewis had won the individual NCAA Championship as a Razorback. Lewis, a four-time All-American did that as a junior in 2007.
She now as company in the Arkansas annals.
As Lewis, a former No. 1 player in the world, was putting her daughter Chesnee to bed as she tuned in to see current Razorback star Maria Fassi win her own NCAA Championship on Arkansas’ home course at The Blessings golf course in Fayetteville.
Lewis told Golfweek that she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “Proud of you @MariaFassi0! National Champ!,” she Tweeted. “Thank you for choosing to be a Razorback!,” Lewis added, alluding to the fact that Fassi delayed entry into the professional ranks in order to help the Razorbacks try to win a SEC championship — and their first NCAA Championship — this season.
Rossi said afterward that she appreciated the fans’ support, despite the threat of thunderstorms. “Just walking down 18 was a dream. I had Shauna [coach Shauna Taylor] by my side. The team was behind the green, my mom was there watching, and everybody calling the Hogs. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”
It was something that Maria Fassi had long visualized. “I’ve told Shauna I don’t know how many times that we were going to be walking down the 18th fairway holding hands, knowing that I was going to be a national champion,” Fassi told Golfweek. “I had seen it in my head I don’t know how many times. I dreamed it, and it was so much better.”
“There was no way anybody was going to beat her today,” Stacy Lewis added.
This is only the latest in an impressive list of feats for Maria Fassi. They include:
•ANNIKA Award Winner | 2018
•Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Honorable Mention | 2016
•WGCA First-Team All-American | 2018
•2019 SEC Medalist
•First-Team All-SEC | 2018, 2019
•Second-Team All-SEC | 2016
•SEC All-Freshman Team | 2016
•SEC Women’s Golf Player of the Year | 2018, 2019
•ANNIKA Award and WGCA Award Watch Lists | 2018, 2019
•Palmer Cup Selection (International) | 2018
•U.S. Women’s Open | 2016, 2017, 2018
Arkansas’s situation in the NCAA Championships
Fassi led a complete team effort that allowed Arkansas to finish in fourth place moving on to the eight-team match play portion of the championship to determine the team title.
The top-8 finishing teams will meet for a pairing selection with match play beginning shortly afterward.
If Arkansas is solidly in fourth place, it would face fifth-place Wake Forest if the standings remain unchanged. Texas will be hard to displace in the top spot as they are currently +6 – eight shots better than Duke who is in second. Top-ranked Southern California is currently third, but all three teams still have holes to play this morning.
