By Amy Rogers
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A playful Maria Fassi is a happy Maria Fassi.
And while there hasn’t been much for Fassi to be thrilled about in recent seasons on the LPGA Tour, especially upon losing her full-time status on Tour in 2025, she says that over the last three months that she’s been having more fun on the golf course than she has in a long time.
“It’s just fun to kind of get back in that mindset. I truly do believe that for me that’s where I need to be. I need to be happy. I need to be playful,” Fassi said while meeting with the media on Wednesday at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. “Getting back to that has been a very rocky road. I think I’m starting to see some of it pay off and maybe an easier road down the way.”
It’s all a part of a change in mindset for Fassi, who is trying to get back to playing the great golf she knows she’s capable of playing. And when she has doubted herself, Fassi has pointed to the support of her team and her sponsors for helping her continue to find the motivation to keep working on herself and her game.
For the next two weeks, it’s Fassi’s sponsors who are helping to lift her up as the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G along with next week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G have each extended a sponsor’s invitation for Fassi to get into the field.
Fassi says she was nearly brought to tears when she got the call that she would get to return to TPC River’s Bend for the fourth edition of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, where she picked up her best career finish with a tie for third in 2022 when the tournament was staged at Kenwood Country Club.
“I love this place so much, and it was amazing, like I said earlier, just to know there are so many people seeing something in me in a time where I’m searching for so much,” Fassi said about getting into the field this week. “It’s really a breath of fresh air to know that people see the work that I’ve put behind the scenes that people that know me a little bit better, [say] ‘hey you’re looking a little bit lighter and happier.’ To be honest, right now that’s all I care about.”
In June, upon receiving a sponsor’s exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic, Fassi opened up about the soul searching she had been doing at the urging of her team over the last year. That’s what led her to take a hard look at her mindset, her attitude on the golf course, and how she was approaching her practice routine and schedule. Fassi started practicing with more purpose, rather than just hitting balls for hours without any real intention. And she started on a journey towards redeveloping her love of golf, despite the game having let her down in recent years as she’s struggled to find her footing in the professional ranks.
“It’s a very tough life, what we do. It’s lonely. It’s hard, especially when things aren’t going your way. Even though the golf hasn’t quite shown everything that I’m feeling, I’m just proud that I can make that little girl in me proud again,” Fassi said about the progress she’s made in improving her mental outlook. “For a little while there was very little to be proud of on the way I was behaving on the golf course, and just now that obviously like I’ve said, it’s a tougher year, you become a lot more grateful for those opportunities you do have.”
Fassi successfully Monday qualified to make her last LPGA Tour start at the CPKC Women’s Open where she was tied for 57th and made her third cut of the season. She’ll look to use that as a springboard to this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, which is a Tour stop that has become one of her favorites as she’s come to love the Cincinnati area and its fans. And she’s eager to tackle what TPC River’s Bend serves up this week. Defending champion Lydia Ko and world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul both pointed to the change in course conditions from last year, as the course is playing softer and longer than it did in 2024, and Fassi echoed a similar sentiment upon completing her nine hole pro-am on Wednesday.
“It’s kind of crazy how different the golf course is playing from last year to this year. You were hitting shots that would release 50, 60 yards last year to now, I mean, I’m getting backspin off the tee,” Fassi said about the course conditions. “It’s kind of an interesting change for this year, but just overall extremely thankful that I’m here and get another opportunity to tee it up against the best in the world and see what my game does.”
Fassi says she’s relishing the challenge to compete again at TPC River’s Bend, excited to think her way strategically around the golf course, and eager to use her length to her advantage to rack up what she hopes will be another top career finish. And that would make for a very happy Maria Fassi.
