Lexi Thompson is about to make historical past because the seventh lady ever to compete in a PGA Tour occasion.
The golf prodigy has accepted a sponsor invitation to take part within the prestigious Shriners Kids’s Open, scheduled to start on October 12 in Las Vegas.
Patrick Lindsey,Govt Director of Shriners Kids’s Open, expressed the group’s pleasure, stating, “We’re thrilled to welcome Lexi to the 2023 match.” He emphasised the occasion’s alignment with the mission of Shriners Kids’s, geared toward serving to all kids overcome medical challenges and reside their finest lives.
“Lexi Thompson’s presence on the Shriners Kids’s Open serves as a beacon of inspiration for younger girls aspiring to chase their desires on the golf course, whatever the challenges they might face,” Lindsey continued.
Thompson hopes to ship a message to younger girls
Thompson’s inclusion in a PGA Tour occasion might come as no shock to these conversant in her profession.
Having performed alongside male counterparts within the QBE Shootout for six years and hailing from a household deeply rooted in golf, with two brothers who’ve held PGA Tour playing cards, Thompson has lengthy been thought-about a major candidate for a PGA Tour sponsor exemption.
Thompson’s recreation seems to be on an upswing following a formidable 3-1-0 Solheim Cup efficiency and a share of eighth place on the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, marking her finest end since November 2022.
Thompson expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming problem, stating, “I am hopeful that my capacity to play with the boys subsequent week on the Shriners Kids’s Open sends an amazing message to the younger girls that you may chase your dream no matter how exhausting it’s.”
The 28-year-old , an 11-time winner since becoming a member of the LPGA in 2012, has spent her life on grand levels, qualifying for the U.S. Girls’s Open on the tender age of 12 and turning into the youngest winner of an LPGA match at 16.
Whereas Thompson confronted a difficult interval in the course of the summer season, enduring 5 consecutive missed cuts, her resurgence in September caught the eye of Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, who entrusted Thompson with a pivotal position on Group USA.
Thompson not solely hit the primary tee shot but in addition anchored the singles lineup, reflecting her newfound type and resilience.
First lady to tee off in a PGA occasion dates again to 1945
The historical past of girls competing in official PGA Tour occasions is each brief and engaging.
The legendary Babe Zaharias stays the one lady to have made a lower in a PGA Tour occasion, reaching this milestone on the 1945 Los Angeles Open.
Zaharias was named the “Girl Athlete of the twentieth Century” by the Related Press.
Brittany Lincicome is the newest lady to obtain a PGA Tour sponsor exemption for the Barbasol Championship in 2018.
A decade earlier than her, Michelle Wie West performed on the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open in 2008.
Wie West ended up taking part in in eight PGA Tour occasions all through her spectacular profession.
Earlier than Wie, Suzy Whaley and Annika Sorenstam participated in PGA Tour occasions in 2003, whereas Shirley Spork, additionally competed towards males again in late 1968.
As Lexi Thompson prepares to tee off in Las Vegas, golf followers world wide eagerly await her efficiency in what guarantees to be a unprecedented second within the sport’s historical past.
Her presence on the Shriners Kids’s Open serves as inspiration for younger girls aspiring to chase their desires on the golf course, whatever the challenges they might face.
