Lexi Thompson, who Sunday became the youngest golfer to win an LPGA event, will ask commissioner Mike Whan to waive age and qualifying-school requirements and grant her membership to the women’s tour.
“We will be filing a petition for 2012 and 2013,” Thompson’s agent Bobby Kreusler told us in an e-mail following Thompson’s five-stroke win at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
Whan opened the door for Thompson’s formal request by stating Sunday night that he would review “a separate petition for LPGA membership” should the 16-year-old choose to file one. Shortly after Thompson’s victory, Whan congratulated the teen on her triumph and noted that he had previously approved her appeal to earn her tour card via the LPGA’s three-stage qualifying tournament.
“Should Lexi qualify for LPGA membership via her Q-School performance,” Whan said in a statement, “she will be an LPGA member for the 2012 season.”
Thompson, who breezed to a 10-stroke win in the first leg of qualifying, hoped to gain Whan’s approval and bypass the final two stages. The commissioner has said he would waive the age rule if Thompson, who will turn 17 in February, made it through Q-school.
It is difficult to imagine Whan turning down Thompson’s expected application after he witnessed her convincing win on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Senator Course in Prattville, Ala. In addition to the golfer proving she could handle the pressures of big-time competitive golf, the tour could use the star power that the long-hitting U.S. player brings to the women’s game.
Navistar, the title sponsor of this week’s event, recognized that by granting Thompson a sponsor’s exemption for the tourney. For sure, Thompson and 22-year-old Yani Tseng, with her major championship romp, should make a convincing marketing combo for Whan as he meets with potential tour backers.
As for how Thompson handled the grind of Sunday’s finale, her performance down the stretch told the story. Despite some lapses on her way to a final-round 2-under 70 and an overall 17-under tally, Thompson showed the maturity of a seasoned tour vet as she calmly overcame back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12 with a birdie, birdie, par close to seal the win.
“I was definitely a little nervous [on the first tee],” Thompson told reporters following her final round, “but they were controllable. Once I hit the first tee shot I was like, ‘All right, I’m good.’”
Thompson certainly has convinced her would-be colleagues that she’s ready for prime time.
“Oh, my God. It’s incredible. She’s 16,” Juli Inkster, the oldest player in the Navistar field, told reporters on Saturday, after Thompson had put up three consecutive scores in the 60s (66, 68, 67). “I didn’t even start [playing golf] until I was 15, so she’s a good player. She hits it long. She’s got a good touch. She works on her game. You know, it’s incredible.”
Thompson herself made a statement in Sunday’s finale, the outcome of which was in stark contrast to that of the Avnet LPGA Classic earlier this year in Mobile, Ala. That Sunday, Thompson blew a share of the final-round lead and ended up in a tie for 19th, though she impressed observers with her poise in handling media demands following her collapse.
“[Lexi] composed herself and gave a remarkable live interview” on Golf Channel, met with other reporters, and “signed autographs for 45 minutes,” Kreusler told us then. “I was genuinely blown away by her ability to do that. It showed a mental and emotional maturity that belied her age.”
This time around, the youngster seemed to enjoy the challenge from her playing partner, Tiffany Joh, whose four consecutive birdies helped her whittle Thompson’s once-commanding seven-stroke advantage down to three.
But that was as close as it would get, as the 2010 Curtis Cup star watched Joh’s tee shot on the par-3 16th roll close to the pin and then knocked hers even closer. Thompson put an exclamation point on her triumph by converting a four-foot birdie putt after Jon missed hers from some eight feet. Rookie Joh, whose fun and creative personality should also be a great asset to the LPGA, finished in second place.
The secret to the ever-maturing Thompson’s most recent success after her meltdown in Mobile?
“I think I just took it a lot more slow today. Just stayed really calm,” she said. “You know, I probably got a little fast at Avnet or here last year when I was leading. So I just slowed down my walking and just relaxed and [made free swings].”
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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