Alessandra Fanali is feeling confident heading into the 2024 Ladies Italian Open as she looks to make history by becoming her nation’s first player to hoist the famous trophy.
The 24-year-old finished runner-up as an amateur last time out losing to Morgane Metraux in a playoff following a fearless performance at Margara Golf and Country Club.
“I have great memories of that week,” Fanali said. “It was my first week after college and I was just so excited to get back home and see what was going to happen. Honestly, I was not expecting a week like that! My family were there, Giulio [my boyfriend] was caddying for me. It was pretty good and I played solid golf. For sure it gave me some great momentum for qualifying for the LET.”
Two years on, Fanali – now her country’s highest ranked player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings – is looking to go one better and etch her name in the record books in front of family and friends.
“It would be crazy [to win],” she explained. “I don’t think an Italian has ever won it before, so it would be crazy, especially at this golf course [Golf Nazionale], because it’s where Matteo Manassero made his comeback last year [winning] on the Challenge Tour. I have so many good memories here. I shot my record score here when I was 18-years-old. So there’s a lot of stuff. We’ll see what happens but it would mean a lot to win.”
As for this year on the Ladies European Tour (LET), Fanali started the campaign tremendously well finishing runner-up in the season-opening Magical Kenya Ladies Open before placing T14 in the lucrative Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
Since then, the 24-year-old has had to deal with a lingering back injury but now feels fit and ready to go ahead of a huge summer of golf – one which will include a debut in the Olympic Games as she leads the Italian charge in Paris.
On this year, Fanali, currently 22nd in the LET Order of Merit said: “I’m feeling good. Generally this week the injury is feeling much better. I almost have no pain again which is great for me. So I’m just focusing on that.
“The swing feels good, it looks good. I just need a touch more confidence but I feel I’ve been pretty consistent all the way through this season. I’m looking forward to the next few weeks, to give myself a chance to be in contention again.”
Born and raised just south of Rome, about 1 hour 30 minutes from this week’s host venue, Golf Nazionale, Fanali is expecting a host of friends and family to turn out in Lazio to help bolster her chances further.
While the former Arizona State Sun Devil – much like the other nine Italians in the field – is boosted by having extensive home knowledge with Golf Nazionale the site used for the Italian Federation’s national team training camps.
She said: “I’m actually very excited to get to play this course. I grew up here. Not specifically this place, but we’ve played lots of tournaments here along with national team training camps. So I know the course really well and its in beautiful condition. I’m very excited to be close to home and its going to be a good week.
“I feel like I see the golf course a lot easier than what it actually is because I’ve been playing here a lot. I know a lot of good spots where you can miss and have better shots in. It’s not easy to see that kind of stuff when you’re only playing that course twice just before the tournament, so it gives me more confidence and relaxes me a bit.
“My friends are coming. Maybe my sister but she is still studying for her university exams! My family will be here. A couple of members from Marco Simone [my home club] are coming. So there will be quite a a few people.”
Fanali gets underway at the 54-hole Ladies Italian Open at 13:45 on Friday playing alongside Austria’s Emma Spitz and Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini. The full draw can be found here.
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