By mustang6560 on 9/19/11

by Torleif Sorenson, guest columnist

Tor was so moved by Lexi Thompson's performance Sunday at the Navistar LPGA Classic he felt the need to write about it. And as a policy, we don't turn down free content, especially when it's good free content. Enjoy!

Alexis "Lexi" Thompson has rewritten the golf record book -- again, this time by winning the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic Sunday afternoon at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill Golf Course in Prattville, Alabama. At age 16, Thompson has become the youngest-ever player to win an LPGA event – and has done so without actually having LPGA membership, although she turned professional fifteen months ago.

She won this tournament by five shots over her nearest competitor, fellow American Tiffany Joh, and put an exclamation point on her effort by recovering from bogeys at 11 and 12 with a near-ace at 16, another birdie at 17, and a near-birdie at the closing hole. This followed rounds of 66, 68, and 67 that were marred only by one bogey in each round.

Thompson has a long record of playing “ahead of the curve”; at age 12, she was the youngest-ever golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open when the 2007 championship was played at Pine Needles in North Carolina.

The LPGA currently requires that members be at least 18 years old, but they have granted Thompson’s petition to enter the 2011 LPGA qualifying tournament, which will be played November 30 through December 4 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach FL. Thompson actually won Stage 1 by ten shots (66-66-66-67=265, -23) in July, but now that Thompson has actually won an LPGA tour event, critical eyes will now turn on the LPGA to see whether they actually make Thompson go through further qualifying.

Given Thompson’s remarkable career (she won the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Hartford GC) and her LPGA first victory, it seems ridiculous for the LPGA to drag this out another year-and-a-half. The Nationwide Tour has had a few players earn “battlefield promotions” to the PGA Tour; in this writer’s opinion, it is time for the LPGA to admit the obvious and give Thompson her card. Stupidly, to this point LPGA commissioner Michael Whan is still sticking to his story that Thompson STILL must play through stages II and III to qualify for LPGA membership. (The “dork meter” is officially “pegged.”)

Lexi Thompson has, in a relatively short period of time, reflected great credit upon herself, upon girls’ junior golf, and on the game itself. It is now time for the LPGA to recognize this. Giver her the card, already!



This was written by Torleif Sorenson, a reader/follower and the opinions are 100% his and do not necessarily reflect those of SkyCaddie in anyway. Enjoy! I'm sure he's ready for your feedback.

photo via LexiThompson.com