Maria Fassi (MEX) 63 71 -10

ROUND 3 FRIDAY OCTOBER 29, 2021 ISSUE 3

Maria Fassi has a chance to go wire-to-wire but at least 12 players will have other ideas heading into the final round at Emirates Golf Club.CLASSIC CLIFFHANGER

By Kent Gray – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East

Maria Fassi is glad she still has a “target on her back” but isn’t half as relieved as Jessica Karlsson who is starting to believe she won’t have to rush back to school teaching anytime soon.

The Mexican LPGA Tour player and sometimes math and science teacher from Sweden will begin the final round of the 15th Dubai Moonlight Classic presented by EGA in pole-position on Friday, albeit with their noses just ahead of a tightly bunched grid plotting their overtaking moves.

Thailand’s highly-decorated Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya, and Spaniard Nuria Iturrioz, the 2018 champion here, are among 11 players within four shots heading into the final round of the €260,000 Ladies European Tour event on The Faldo.

After a course-record equalling 63 in Wednesday’s opening round, Fassi emerged from a frustrating Thursday just one stroke better to par, a 71 getting her to -10. Karlsson, meanwhile, added a 68 to her opening 66 to surprisingly find herself joint leader.

“I didn’t know I was tied for the lead,” Karlsson said afterwards. “The photographer told me when I was walking in from the last hole. That’s good news.”

So too is Karlsson’s welcome return to form, indeed that she gets to play golf at all after her return to the game via the COVID-19 lockdown didn’t quite go to plan.

“It was a little bit tough at the start of the year. I played some really bad golf because it had been one-and-a-half years since I had played tournament golf. I was a maths and science teacher last autumn, which was really good.

“It was hard to readjust. I have had a lot of time with my mental coach and he has really helped me with that part of my game and my readjustment.

“I’m just going to enjoy it and have fun. I have my brother on the bag, so I’m just going to have a lot of fun!”

After the fireworks of Wednesday, Fassi was simply pleased to get it into the clubhouse without any damage done yesterday.

“It was a bit of a struggle out there today; I couldn’t get anything going and had to save pars every three or four holes so it was hard to build momentum that I had yesterday.

“[But] I went out with a target on my back today and I still have it at the end of the day so that’s good, and hopefully some more putts drop tomorrow.

“I hit it splendid yesterday and it was average today, and I couldn’t get the few opportunities I had for birdie to go in, so if I clean up with the irons and get a couple more putts to drop, I’ll be in good shape tomorrow.” ◼ POISED WITH PACE

Lee-Anne Pace, a 10-time LET winner, is the closest challenger despite near cart-path calamity.

PAGE 2

FINAL ROUND TEE TIMES

Plan your viewing pleasure with all the groups and tee times for Friday on The Faldo.

PAGE 4

IT'S ALRIGHT WITH DWIGHT

Former Man United striker Dwight Yorke is a big fan of Dubai’s annual LET stop.

PAGE 5

BLISTER SISTERS

Philippa Stewart, Head Physio for the LET, on the injuries keeping her busy this and every week.

PAGE 7

PATRON & OFFICIAL PUBLISHER

LEADERBOARD

Rank Name (Country) R1 R2 Par 1 Maria Fassi (MEX) 63 71 -10 Jessica Karlsson (SWE) 66 68 -10 3 Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 64 71 -9 4 Olivia Cowan (GER) 65 71 -8 Pajaree Anannarukarn (THA) 69 67 -8 6 Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 71 66 -7 Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) 69 68 -7 Nuria Iturrioz (ESP) 69 68 -7 Bronte Law (ENG) 68 69 -7 Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 68 69 -7 Lydia Hall (WAL) 67 70 -7

Dubai Moonlight Classic

October 27-29, 2021 Faldo course, Emirates Golf Club

56 PLAYERS 54 HOLES (NO CUT)

Wednesday, October 27

4pm shotgun Thursday, October 28

4pm shotgun Friday, October 29

4pm shotgun

Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Group Editor and Managing Partner Ian Fairservice Editor Kent Gray Art Director Clarkwin Cruz Images Tristan Jones/LET, Getty Images, Supplied by Falcon and Associates Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Publisher David Burke General Manager – Production S. Sunil Kumar Assistant Production Manager Binu Purandaran

Head Office: Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 427 3000; Fax +971 4 428 2270 Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 390 3550; Fax +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE; Tel +971 2 657 3493 London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK; E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae

Pace Poised

It won’t be lost on co-leaders Maria Fassi and Jessica Karlsson that the player closest to them leaderboard is the owner of 10 Ladies European Tour titles, and another on the LPGA Tour.

Lee-Anne Pace is delighted to be so close after a topsy-turvy second round at the Dubai Moonlight Classic presented by EGA.

The 40-year-old South African watched a six-foot birdie putt slide by on the 18th and with it a chance to make it a three-way lead at -10 on Thursday. But Pace’s eventual 71 could have been worse, especially after a run-in with a cart path on the 16th which sent a chip scuttling deeper into the undergrowth.

“It was entertaining, up and down, and pretty much all over the show,” Pace said of her second round where she mixed five birdies with four bogeys.

“I started a bit cold with the putter but then it got hot in the middle, then I hit it in the bush and nearly hit my head, so it was a bit all over the place, but one-under at the end of the day means I still have a chance.

“My caddie really helped me out there because I wanted to play it into the bunker which could easily have been a seven, and he pointed in the other direction and we made an up and down [bogey six], so that was a great call.”

Pace secured her 10th LET title at the SA Open in May and is happy to be plying her trade in “Europe” after an LPGA Tour focus in recent years.

“I’m happy, I’m happy in my life and I’m happy in my golf so I’m really enjoying it, it’s great to be back in Europe and really nice to be around my friends.

“I’m going to play the same game [on Friday] and try to get into the lead, and if not, try to chase the lead.”

Fassi and Karlsson can’t say they haven’t been warned. ◼

Then I hit it in the bush and nearly hit my head, so it was a bit all over the place...