Thompson became only the seventh woman to tee it up in a PGA Tour event. No woman has made the cut against the men since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945.
Here are five takeaways from Thompson’s inspiring effort:
Safe to say the golf world was paying attention to happenings at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. Lexi Thompson is a big, big reason why.
The 28-year-old became the seventh female golfer to play in a PGA Tour event when she teed it up at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open. Only one has ever made the cut, and Thompson was in a good position to make the cut on her back nine holes Friday until a pair of late bogeys on par 3s. She shot 2-under 69 on Friday and carded an even-par 142 for the week, which will fall just outside of the cut line.
However, her effort in the desert was nothing short of spectacular, and people were tuned in from all over.
Here are some of the best reactions to Thompson’s performance at the Shriners Children’s Open.
She’ll resume her opening round on Friday morning with a 20-foot par putt on the 17th hole.
LAS VEGAS — Just moments before she struck her first-ever PGA Tour tee shot, Lexi Thompson — as she is wont to do — stopped to sign a women’s hat, then smiled and nodded as fans surrounding the first hole yelled, “so proud of you, girl,” and “girl power!”
Ever the advocate for women’s golf, Thompson was soaking in the positive vibes from the watershed moment at TPC Summerlin, but knew a round near or under par would magnify the statement.
Since finding out less than two weeks ago she’d been extended a sponsor exemption into the field at the Shriners Children’s Open, Thompson has been champing at the bit, eager to finish her first round on the world’s premier professional golf circuit.
But thanks to slow play and a lack of Nevada sunlight, she’ll have to wait a little longer.
The 11-time LPGA winner had her round halted due to darkness on the 17th hole while sitting at 1-over par, meaning she’s right on the projected cutline after the first day of play. She’ll resume her opening round on Friday morning with a 20-foot par putt on the par-3 17th and then play the par-4 18th before starting her second round. Beau Hossler leads the event at 9 under.
The first round will resume at 7:45 a.m. local time.
Thompson had opportunities at the beginning and end of her day that could have improved her chances of becoming the second female to ever make the cut at a PGA Tour event. Babe Didrikson Zaharias reached the weekend at both the Phoenix and Tucson Opens back in 1945, but no female has pulled the feat off since. The top 70 and ties make the cut and Thompson sits in a tie for 76th.
The 28-year-old missed putts inside of 10 feet on the first and 16th holes, and played solid golf throughout the day, outside of the par-4 7th hole, where she posted a double bogey.
“I played decent. I had one bad hole and a few iffy shots. But it’s golf; it was kind of expected,” Thompson said. “I had a little bit of nerves, but not too much. Kind of similar to Solheim, similar nerves, but that’s kind of what you play for.”
Lexi Thompson signs a golf ball for a young fan during the first round of the Shriners Children’s Open golf tournament at TPC Summerlin. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
Although she lagged a bit behind playing partners Kevin Roy and Trevor Werbylo in terms of distance, the difference was negligible. Thompson averaged 284 yards off the tee and boasted two drives of over 300 yards.
On the 552-yard par-5 ninth, for example, Thompson rolled a fairway wood onto the front of the green and made birdie.
“I knew (on number) 9, I could get a birdie as long as I hit that fairway, I knew I could get 3-wood up close to the front of the green and make birdie there,” she said. “Hit a good drive and just really stayed committed to that 3-wood. Tried to make eagle, but definitely take a birdie.”
She also birdied the par-5 13th, rolling her second shot just in front of the green before chipping to seven feet.
And Thompson’s first birdie came on the second hole, when she drained an uphill 22-foot putt that had just enough energy to roll into the cup.
“It was a very special feeling,” Thompson said of the birdie on No. 2. “I hit a great shot into 1 and probably hit one of my worst putts and then hit an amazing putt on No. 2, so it was nice to kind of have a good stroke there and make birdie on a more difficult hole.”
Overall, the moment didn’t seem to big for Thompson, who only needed a few more putts to fall to be on the right side of the cutline. Either way, when Friday’s round is complete, she knows she’s been part of something special.
“The fans were amazing. So many people around that first tee and then following us those next few holes,” Thompson said. “It was just great, especially to see those little kids out there. The fans make the game, and that’s why we continue to play and just hopefully grow it.”
Poston has been on fire since missing back-to-back cuts at the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in June.
LAS VEGAS — J.T. Poston continues to grow, as a golfer and a fledgling facial hair connoisseur.
The newly mustachioed Poston continued to play great golf during the opening round of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on Thursday, all part of a fun stretch for the Western Carolina product.
Poston, who has been on fire since missing back-to-back cuts at the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in June, was sporting a stiff and shaggy upper lip as he went 4 under on the day’s final four holes, including an eagle on the ninth hole, to post an 8-under 63 that had him near the top of the leaderboard.
He’s hoping to keep the momentum of four top-10 finishes in his last seven events, not to mention the new facial hair, as the week progresses.
“Just something I started having fun with in the off-season, knowing I was going to be in my own home and not out in public too much, and just decided to keep it,” Poston said of the mustache. “We’re just having fun with it for now, but I don’t know if it’s going to be a permanent thing.”
To be honest, in comparison to other Tour stops, it’s underwhelming.
LAS VEGAS — There’s plenty to love about the Shriners Children’s Open. TPC Summerlin is a spectacular setting for the PGA Tour event, and players love the well-manicured track. The Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street Experience are both within a half-hour’s drive as is glorious Red Rock Canyon, which boasts hiking and unforgettable views.
There is one area in which the FedEx Cup Fall event is lacking, however, and that’s the merchandise tent. According to those working the booth on Thursday, this marks the first year the merch has been pulled out of the pro shop and into its own space. There’s another small tent near the driving range, but that has just a few items for patrons.
To be honest, in comparison to other Tour stops, it’s underwhelming, especially for a tournament with as much pomp and circumstance as this one.
There are a number of Shriners-specific items, including a Build-a-Bear, and a solid collection of shirts, but the overall selection wasn’t up to typical standards. We’ll cut the organizers a break since they’re trying something new.
She’s relishing the opportunity to let it rip, but will need a boatload of birdies to make something special happen.
Lexi Thompson stated earlier this week at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open that making the cut at a PGA Tour event would be at the top of her accomplishments. No woman has done it since Babe Zaharias before the LPGA was even formed.
“That would be an amazing feeling,” said Thompson, who becomes the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event this week in Las Vegas and the first since Brittany Lincicome at the 2018 Barbasol Championship.
For Thompson to have a chance at making the cut, she’ll need to go low both days. The average cut over the past five years has been close to 5 under. The average winning score during that stretch at TPC Summerlin, which plays to a par 71, has been 23 under.
When Martin Laird won in 2020, the cut fell at 7 under.
There were 1,956 birdies made at TPC Summerlin last year, ranking third behind Rocket Mortgage (2,066) and The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (2,021) on the PGA Tour for the 2022-2023 season.
Thompson’s birdie stats this season, like the rest of her stats, however, don’t tell the picture of how she’s playing coming into this week. Typically one of the best ball-strikers on tour ranked consistently in the top five in greens in regulation, Thompson ranks 61st in GIR this year and 126th in total birdies.
She’s also played a small schedule. Thompson’s 13 LPGA starts for 2023 ranks 137th on tour.
The good news: She’s been a different player her past three LPGA starts (plus the Solheim!).
Thompson’s scoring average her first nine events this year was 73.41. In her last three starts, she’s averaged 68.9. That’s a 4.51 drop.
Put another way, Thompson’s score in relation to par those first nine starts was a whopping 35 over. She’s been 27 under in her last three starts.
Lexi Thompson of the United States looks on during a practice round prior to the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on October 11, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Elevation will help an already powerful Thompson compete on a PGA Tour setup of 7,255 yards. She’s ranked 12th on the LPGA in distance at 270.7 yards, but it’s important to note that the LPGA only measures two holes each week for distance, and Thompson often hits something other than driver off those tees.
She’s relishing the opportunity to let it rip, but will need a boatload of birdies to make something special happen. She does have great history playing desert golf, given her tremendous fondness for Mission Hills Country Club, longtime host of the LPGA’s spring major and site of her 2014 victory.
“I get to hit driver basically on every hole, which is nice,” said Thompson. “Usually I get to do that more on the major championships.
“So to be able to come out here and free swing with the driver and have a few mid to long irons into the greens, definitely more major feel.”
Joining the likes of Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam, Lexi Thompson is set to become the seventh woman to play on the PGA Tour this week at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
The LPGA star, who struggled for most of the year, has turned her game around of late, finishing T-19 at the Kroger Queen City Championship, T-8 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and solo fifth at last week’s The Ascendant LPGA in her last three starts.
Thompson is slated to tee off at 4:19 p.m. ET Thursday in the first round.
Here are some of the best pictures of Thompson playing alongside the boys at the Shriners Children’s Open.
Here’s what several PGA Tour players have said about the 11-time LPGA winner teeing it up this week with the men.
LAS VEGAS — Although a number of intriguing storylines pop off the page at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open, all eyes will be on Lexi Thompson when she tees off Thursday at TPC Summerlin as part of a group with Kevin Roy and Trevor Werbylo, making her the seventh women to play on the PGA Tour.
Thompson’s exemption caused at least one Tour player (Peter Malnati) to say the move might have been a reach by tournament organizers (see full Malnati comments below), but Thompson calmly brushed the episode aside when she met with media members Tuesday.
“No reaction. I knew some comments were going to happen with anything. Like I said, I’m out here playing of course with the men, but I want to leave a message just to the kids that I’m following my dreams and to go after what you want with a positive mindset and don’t let anybody’s comments or reaction get in the way of that,” Thompson said. “But it’s all good. I mean, I expected it, so… ”
Here’s what other PGA Tour players have said about the 11-time LPGA winner teeing it up this week with the men.
Here are some of the best images from the week in Sin City.
The PGA Tour returns to Las Vegas this week for the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin.
As Tom Kim looks to go back-to-back after his win last year, LPGA star Lexi Thompson will become the seventh woman to play on the PGA Tour, joining the likes of Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie West. Thompson finished solo fifth last week at The Ascendant LPGA.
Kim has played well since a T-20 finish in Atlanta at the Tour Championship, tying for 18th at the BMW PGA Championship and for sixth at the French Open on the DP World Tour.
Here are some of the best photos from the week in Sin City.
Given that Thompson is in the midst of a four-year winning slump on the LPGA and only recently began to find some form, why in the world would she step into a potential cauldron of criticism by taking up a spot in a PGA Tour event? Furthermore, if she struggles at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas, why risk tearing apart the confidence she’s built up since the Solheim Cup?
One week later, however, after several conversations with folks far wiser and more experienced, I’ve come to view Thompson’s decision in a different light.
I’ve since concluded that the reward for Thompson and golf is greater than the risk.
For starters, this is nothing like Annika Sorenstam’s appearance at The Colonial 20 years ago. At that time, Sorenstam was the best player in the women’s game. She wanted to test herself and push herself beyond anything she’d ever experienced. And while that was her personal goal, Sorenstam carried the weight of the tour and women’s golf on her shoulders. The sports world literally stopped to see how she fared.
There was great risk in Sorenstam’s decision to play, and even though she didn’t make the cut, it paid off handsomely. The Swede left Texas an even bigger force in women’s sport.
Thompson is far from a dominant figure on the LPGA, but she is the most well-known and most popular U.S. player, as much for her triumphs as her crushing defeats. If Thompson doesn’t play up to her standards at the Shriners, the LPGA won’t take a hit.
The 28-year-old isn’t expected to become the first player since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to make a cut on the PGA Tour. If she does, however, it will be her most well-known accomplishment – far more than winning a major.
The untimely shank on the 18th on Friday at the Solheim Cup – coupled with the media debacle that followed – harkened back to those fragile times.
But there’s a resolve inside Thompson that’s undeniable, even if she’s reluctant to let the world in on her pain.
Lexi Thompson of the United States hits from the bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the 76th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at The Olympic Club on June 06, 2021, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Not long before the U.S. team left for Spain, captain Stacy Lewis told Thompson that she wouldn’t be playing foursomes in the Solheim Cup.
“I think she could have taken that a number of ways,” said assistant captain Angela Stanford, “and instead she was a great teammate. … She put her head down and worked.”
Thompson wasn’t gifted that opening shot on Friday foursomes. She had to prove herself on site that week to Lewis, and the captain responded to what she saw.
Thompson’s 3-1-0 record was a personal victory and a sign of good play to come.
Since the Solheim, she’s posted a pair of top-10 finishes that include four rounds in the 60s. While she’s still not inside the top 60 to qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she has moved to within striking distance at No. 82.
While there are many women in the world playing better golf this season, it’s hard to believe that any woman other than Thompson should tee it up against the men. Few women have the physical aspects of Thompson – the spin, the strength, the length. Even fewer, however, would benefit at all from competing on the PGA Tour at this stage in their careers. The risk simply isn’t worth it.
Even though she hasn’t won a major championship in nearly 10 years, Thompson is battled-tested when it comes to disappointment. Most players on the LPGA haven’t come close to experiencing the amount of scrutiny Thompson has faced.
She’s also been in the spotlight since the age of 12 and on the LPGA more than a decade. If it’s a tough week in Vegas, the outcome won’t define her.
Perhaps the biggest element that shifted my thinking should’ve been the most obvious: the kids.
Lexi Thompson of Team United States signs autographs for fans during a practice round ahead of the start of The Solheim Cup at Inverness Club on September 02, 2021, in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Thompson is, without question, one of the best on tour when it comes to fan interaction. It could be the absolute worst day of her career – as it seemed to be in Rancho Mirage six years ago – and she’d still stand there with tear-stained cheeks and sign autographs with a smile on her face.
For a kid, watching a woman compete in a man’s world hits differently. Maybe a little girl sticks with golf even when she’s the only girl because of Thompson. Maybe a little boy invites a girl to play in his group because he watched a woman play on the PGA Tour.
Maybe Thompson’s presence brings in more fans and raises more money for Shriners patients all over the country.
No matter what happens on Thursday in Vegas, Thompson will give kids of all ages and abilities a day to remember.
