SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Lexi Thompson isn’t done yet. Not yet a month removed from announcing her plans to step away from a full-time schedule after this season, Thompson finds herself holding the solo first-round lead at a major championship for the first time in her career. Twice she has held a share of the lead to open a major championship.
Thompson birdied the first three holes in Thursday’s opening round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship en route to a 4-under 68 at the stunning and shockingly narrow Sahalee Country Club. She’s one shot ahead of World No. 1 Nelly Korda and Patty Tavatanakit on a star-studded leaderboard. Ten players are two shots back.
“Just tried to stay in the moment out there and really visualize my shots and pick small targets and just commit to it,” said Thompson, who hasn’t won on tour since 2019 but came up just short in a playoff last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
It was the first week Thompson had veteran caddie Mark Wallington on the bag and she was noticeably upbeat. Thompson said the pair have had a great friendship on tour for years but had never worked together.
“We always have a good laugh with each other and really look for each other in a friendship when needed,” she said.
“So I was like, you know what? This sounds great. Let’s just work together and see how it does. No matter what, we’ll always have that friendship and bond. That will never leave us.”
Wallington’s positive vibe, she continued, is exactly what she’s needed.
It also helps that something clicked with her swing early last week at the Meijer that has enabled her to be “free-swinging Lexi.” She leads the field in strokes-gained approach.
“My swing has always been a bit fast,” she said. “A good solid tempo throughout the whole swing. Just seeing that draw out there, especially off the tee boxes. That’s always what I’ve done ever since I was little.”
For Korda, the pressures of a major championship melted away on the first tee when she looked over and saw her nephew, Greyson DelPrete, outside the ropes. Korda’s big sister Jessica arrived on Wednesday with her four-month-old son, but Nelly wasn’t sure exactly when they’d join her on the course at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“His giggles just give me so much happiness,” said Korda, who opened with a 3-under 69 at Sahalee Country Club to hold the clubhouse lead.
Though she’s coming into the third major of the year off two consecutive missed cuts, Korda’s 2024 has been historically brilliant. With five consecutive victories and six overall, including her second career major, a victory this week would put her in rarified air.
Since 1970, only three Americans have won seven or more times on the LPGA in a single season. Beth Daniel was the most recent in 1990 with seven, while Nancy Lopez won nine (1978) and eight times (1979) in her first two seasons on the LPGA. Kathy Whitworth won seven times in 1973.
Korda’s opening 69 included three consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-15 and a double-bogey on the fourth after she made the turn. She closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth to end on a high note.
“I took my chances where I could and I played safe for the majority of the round,” she said.
When it comes to strategy, Korda is often reliant on long-time caddie Jason McDede — sometimes a little too reliant.
This week, she said, they decided that McDede would give her the number, how far she should land it, and then she would take it from there to feel more confident about each decision. Last week at a windy Meijer LPGA Classic, Korda struggled with going long on several approach shots in an opening 76.
“He’s going to disagree or agree,” said Korda of her chats with McDede, “but for the majority, it was a lot of agreeing today, so it was good.
While she missed the cut last week, Korda found something with the driver on Friday at the Meijer, which could prove massive this week.
“That’s the tough part about the golf course here,” she said. “If you don’t hit the fairway you don’t get to be aggressive. You can’t take your opportunities.”
Sahalee is undoubtedly a mental grind, and for some, like Allisen Corpuz, that’s a good thing. Corpuz opened with a 70, joining a host of players at 2 under including, Leona Maguire, Charley Hull and Amy Yang.
“I feel like weeks like this where par is always going to be a good score, I’m just pretty good at staying calm,” said the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion, “just playing it a little safer.”
Tavatanakit, who won earlier this season on home soil in Thailand, enjoyed a rare bogey-free day at Sahalee. Seattle happens to be one of her favorite cities, noting that she’d live here if the weather was better for golf.
“I feel homey,” she said. “I feel like – I don’t know, cuddly with the weather, too.”
It’s been three years since Tavatanakit won the ANA Inspiration and Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors. She spent time in the valley after that win and came out wiser for it.
“Feel like I’ve gotten more acceptant,” she said. “I feel more acceptance towards anything that life would throw at me on and off the course.
“It’s a nice mindset to have because whatever you face, you’re up for it.”