A Win for Love

Daniela Iacobelli texted me on Wednesday. "I'm going to get emotional,” she wrote.

The two of us have been friendly, so after reading the long text, I called her. As soon as she picked up the phone she started crying. 

If you have followed my account for a while, you probably know Iacobelli as the cussing, cigarette-smoking, formerly drinking (now sober) Crash Davis of the Epson Tour. Iacobelli, 36, turned pro 14 years ago, and aside from two seasons, has spent most of her career on the Epson Tour (the Triple-A of women’s professional golf). Iacobelli is opinionated, speaks her mind, and is also one of my favorite people in golf. Because she is rarely vulnerable, it's difficult to break through her tough outer shell, but Wednesday she lowered her defenses in our conversation.

Two weeks ago, Iacobelli shot a final round 68 at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan., which was good enough to get her into a playoff with Kathleen Scavo. During the playoff, Iacobelli’s thoughts were on her girlfriend Alyssa, who was back in Florida. Alyssa has been battling some severe health issues. The playoff ended on the 6th hole when Iacobelli missed a 12-footer for par. As soon as the playoff ended, “D” (most everyone calls Iacobelli that) rushed to catch a flight home. 

"She didn't touch a club for eight days," says Sarah White, Iacobelli’s good friend and Epson Tour member. "She never left her (Alyssa’s) side," White added. That week, a trip to the hospital for what was supposed to be a same-day procedure led to a four-night stay. Last Tuesday, Iacobelli made the difficult decision to play at this week's Epson event. 

"I'm not in the financial position to take weeks off," she told me through tears. With a heavy heart and her mom helping Alyssa, D headed to the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship.

Tiger Woods once said, "Winning solves everything." Although not entirely true, winning sure does help. A win seemed unlikely with Alyssa back in Florida; Iacobelli hadn't touched a club since her second place finish in Kansas, and she had the added stress of trying to lock up her LPGA Tour card. 

Iacobelli and White stayed together in a host house this week. "D and I share our struggles. She was just really worried about Alyssa. She wanted to be there to support her," White told me. 

On Friday, with her host mom Lauren on the bag, more as a counselor than a caddie, Iacobelli tried her best to concentrate on golf. She made seven birdies, shot 66, and was tied for the lead. 

On Saturday, her second round 68 left her with a three-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round. 

A win would basically lock up Iacobelli’s LPGA Tour card, and the $39,500 check would be a huge help in paying Alyssa’s medical bills. With such significant stakes, the final round pressure was tremendous. 

The four-time Epson Tour winner birdied three of the first four holes, which extended her lead to five. However, Amelia Lewis, who shot a final round 64, closed in on Iacobelli quickly on the back nine. Iacobelli leaned on her experience, eventually holing a two-foot par putt on the final hole to secure her fifth win.

The win moved her to second on the season-long points list, and with the top-15 securing LPGA cards, she has all but guaranteed her return to the LPGA tour for the first time since 2018. 

At the winning ceremony, Iacobelli grabbed the trophy and the big check and, through tears, said, "This one's for the girlfriend." 

I spoke with D as she and White made the two hour drive to the next stop on the Epson Tour in Albany, New York. "The money never hurts. It just comes at a really good time." 

I asked her if she had talked to Alyssa yet. "I told her I had a trophy for her,” Iacobelli says.

With her heart back in Florida, Daniela Iacobelli secured an LPGA card with her fifth career Epson Tour win. Crash Davis is going back to the bigs. 

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