Photos: Lourdes Molina

Fátima Fernández Cano has achieved the American Golf League (LPGA) full card being just 26 years old. She was born in Santiago, she started playing when she was 13 years old and she didn’t stop until she obtained a golf scholarship to study in the EEUU, where she knew she’d find her place. After finishing her business degree in the University of Troy, she decided to stay in Alabama and she has been working tirelessly to gain a place in the American Tour. Despite her success, she doesn’t have any sponsor yet. An untiring worker, unmistakable due to her permanent smile and her bun, Fatima grants us with her time to tell us about her plans and to contribute helping women’s golf.

You finish the year achieving your objective
It has been a fantastic year because I have achieved the objective I had in mind, that was to obtain the full LPGA card. I am very happy. I have played solidly and I have improved my game during the last two years and that can be noticed. I’m going to keep on doing the same thing I have done up to now, being patient and carry on working, because this way I have done well. It is going to be new for me, but after all it is golf, you have to work hard, make birdies, that is what counts.

What do you ask for in 2022?

Primarily I have to be amongst the first in the ranking to get settled in this tour now that I achieved it. To try to maintain my position and everything that the calendar allows me to, coming to play in Europe, tickles me to death. I love to come back to Europe and to Spain. Every time I come back, I realise that life is good here and my whole family live here. But up to now I am all right in the USA because to play the LPGA it is important to have the base there. What do you think you can provide to women’s golf?
I want that this sport goes on growing. It is already flourishing a lot, thanks to the effort made by many women before me. I am forever grateful to them. What I can provide I will. I wish to play very well and be famous and make women’s.

And for the 2023?
To maintain the LPGA card, to be among the best and we all have in mind that there is a Solheim Cup. We all know that it is very special because it will be held in Spain. I have always dreamt of representing my country and Europe playing golf and if I can do it in Spain, it would be amazing.

Do you think it will be more difficult to classify through the LPGA or the LET?

I have to check how to do it, through one tour or the other, but if I play well, I am at the top and I play how I have to in the European Tour, in the end it can be done. As I say, there is much work to be done, there are many good players and there is still much to be done to achieve that idea.

To get that you have to be a very complete player, are you?
Yes, I only have to improve a little some parts of my short game to make fewer mistakes. During the last few years, I have made many birdies, I have a swing to be able to play under par, that is very important. What I have to do is to minimize the mistakes, or at least to make sure that my mistakes are not too big.

What is your strength in golf?
I think that my strength is that I take many greens, that gives me many opportunities for birdies and the more greens you take the more birdies, that is pure statistics. I have to improve my short game because I don’t play it very much, but that is something that if I improve it just a bit, it will make a big change to my results.

What do you think about the Solheim coming to Spain, to the Costa del Sol?

I love it because it helps women’s golf in Spain to be better known. I like the fact that it has grown so much during the last years and I love to see new people start playing, that they make golf their hobby. I think that golf will go on growing thanks to the Solheim and I think that is fantastic.

Prophet on your own land

I don’t do so much to become known. Being at the Symetra Tour, I have stayed four whole years there because I couldn’t miss any tournament. It is normal that my name is not so known here because I have played there. Let’s see if I can play more often in Europe and people get to know me and to follow wh

What difference do you see between men and women’s golf?
People say that it is the stroke, men hit stronger, according to statistics women play the course three clubs longer than men in terms of the average. Men in a par 5 get to green with an iron 7, we as women don’t have that; but even not having that stroke and not playing with low clubs, there are very good results in the LPGA, in the European Tour. There is a very high level, what we should do is to make more media promotion, so that people can see and say that we are very good, it is very entertaining to see us.

Don’t you have any sponsor yet?
No, I don’t have that economic support. Having been playing at the Symetra Tour where there is no TV, it is complicated to present a program to any sponsor because I will carry their name on my shoulder but not many people will see me. In the end I understand that, but women’s golf is growing and the sooner the sponsors realize that the sooner they can get good players, I think it will help them to be a company that supports women’s sports.

Are you more tired physically or mentally?
Mentally it is very tiring. Physically I have been doing a lot of work that has helped me to be strong. At the beginning of the season, I was between one tour and another and that takes its toll. Finally, I stayed in the Symetra giving my all and being there, always at your limit to get the card, is very tiring.

What would you say to all the girls who want to play golf as professionals?

That it will be hard work but that it is worth it, at least it is for me, because apart from being my dream come true, it is nice to work on your dream, I love having met so many people, seen many parts of the world and I love travelling. It is hard, but it is worth it.