When Lexi Thompson sank two big putts on Friday, she was poised to make history. She had star-power moments fit for a stage like Las Vegas.
Thompson had seven holes remaining and was 4 under. She was aiming to create history by being the first female PGA TOUR player to make it to the 36-hole cut in 78 years.
She finished outside of the cut at the Shriners Children’s Open due to one bad swing, one average chip, and one missed putt at the end, but she was still extremely proud of the two days she would never forget. She spent time at the TPC Summerlin to encourage children to follow their ambitions.
“Playing with the boys is really a great experience. I always wanted to be out on the PGA TOUR and tee it up because I grew up around guys. The most memorable part, though, was meeting a handful of the Shriners ambassadors after observing the children outside the enclosure. That was the most unique thing.” Thompson remarked following a 2-under 69.
Her golf game is very remarkable.
Thompson had five birdies in a 10-hole span before finishing with two bogeys and missed a 6-foot putt on the last hole. Her final round score of 73-69 put her at even par 142, three strokes short of the cut.
Cameron Champ scored a 67 in the morning wave, while Lanto Griffin had a 66 after five straight birdies. At 12-under 130, they were tied for the lead. The winner of the Canadian Open, Nick Taylor (67), and J.T. Poston (69), were two shots behind Henrik Norlander (64).
“Incredibly pleased. I had a great game today. I made an effort to stick to my goals and my swing thinking throughout the day while also trying to enjoy the moment.” said Thompson who scored 12 of 14 fairways and only missed four of the greens.
Her 69 was one shot short of the PGA TOUR record held by a female. At the Sony Open, Michelle Wie West shot 68 twice. The first time, she was 14 years old and missed the cut by one stroke.
“I had to come prepared with my best game. There was a stronger message heading into the week than just playing golf. My favorite thing to do is to motivate the youth.” Thompson stated, noting that her time in Las Vegas was not limited to golf.
Thompson gave off the impression that she might stay for the entire four days. She missed a 20-foot par putt on the 17th hole then made a difficult par save on the 18th to conclude the initial round, which had been postponed due to darkness. She made a score of 73. Then, on the 10th hole, she had a bogey to start her second 9.
However, the American, 28, came to life. On the eleventh, she stuffed her approach to 4 feet for a birdie. On the 13th par-5, she was barely off the green and needed 2 putts to make birdie. She made a 2-putt birdie after driving the 296-yard 15th green.
Thompson hammered in a birdie putt from just within 30 feet and holed a birdie putt from just inside 25 feet for birdie.
Through 11 holes in the round, she was 4 under, and for the entire tournament, she was 2 under.
“I knew the cut line would keep going lower and lower with these guys, especially with not that much wind out there, but once I had made a few birdies in a row, I would be somewhat close. I made an effort to maintain my concentration on both my swing and my game, setting modest goals and giving it my best.” Thompson remarked.
One well-timed stroke and one wise choice altered everything. The pin was on the right side of the green on the 5th par-3 hole, and her tee ball was way to the right into the native area. 98 yards from the green, she took a penalty drop for a clean lie and played wedge to 5 feet to escape with bogey rather than taking a large chance by trying to hit out of the desert.
On the arduous eighth par-3, her prospects soured. Her 2-iron sailed slightly over the green, making a feeble chip to 12 feet before missing the par putt. On the 9th par-5, she needed a birdie to have any chance, so she chipped the putt 6 feet by the cup and missed.
When she left the ninth green, the cut was at one under, but by the time she signed her card, it was already at two under. Under perfect scoring conditions, the cut was sure to drop.
Thompson joined the ranks of seven female players on the PGA TOUR. In 1945, Babe Didrikson Zaharias became the last person to complete a 36-hole cut.
Winning was never the goal here. After round one, Thompson was 11 strokes behind the leader. Out of 132 players, she tied for 85th place at the end.
Nevertheless, Thompson had a standout performance throughout a difficult year. Before coming to Las Vegas, she had only managed two top-10 finishes and was in danger of losing her LPGA card. She hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour in over four years.
Thompson announced that she would take a few weeks off before finishing the season on the LPGA in Florida.
