Missouri State women's golfer Faith Belmear is set to compete in a prestigious winter event in suburban Phoenix this week, Thursday thru Saturday (Dec. 29-31). Earlier in the year, the Owasso, Okla. native was one of just 66 golfers nationwide invited to compete in the Patriot All-America Invitational, a 54-hole stroke-play event to be played at The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. 

The event is sponsored by the Arizona Golf Association, West Valley Mavericks and designated partner Folds of Honor and features an exclusive field of collegiate players who earned spots either by accomplishments on the course or special invitation. 

Belmear won last summer's Missouri Amateur title and qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur, and also is a member at The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso. She posted a 75.93 scoring average for the Bears in the fall and recorded a career-low 68 in the final round of the Ozarks National Invitational. She is scheduled to tee off at 9:40 a.m. local time Thursday off no. 10 at the Wigwam's Blue Course, 

Prior to the tournament, each player is presented a Folds of Honor golf bag honoring a fallen member of the U.S. Armed Forces and then the bags are auctioned off at the conclusion, with the proceeds going to Folds of Honor Foundation.

Belmear will be honoring U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Tobias Alexander of Lawton, Okla., who was killed in action May 20, 2012, while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Alexander's daughter is a Folds of Honor scholarship recipient. 

Live scoring for the Patriot All-America Invitational can be found at:  https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/3947191