by Jeff Skinner
The day didn’t quite go as Lexi Thompson planned. Sometime on Saturday night Thompson pictured herself sinking the last putt for her first LPGA Tour win and kissing the trophy in a victory celebration. Thompson was on the verge of an historic win but she’ll have to wait for another day as Maria Hjorth earned her fifth LPGA win at The Avnet LPGA Championship and Thompson was left contemplating how her day went so wrong so quickly.
The 16 year old phenom began the day tied for the lead but started off poorly when she bogeyed two of her first three holes and could never recover. Hjorth played excellent golf on her way to the low round of the day with a 67. She felt for Thompson, “I just hope that she learns things from it, that’s the important thing. She’s going to be a great player and have a lot of wins and a lot of success.”
Thompson was understandably disappointed but showed poise afterwards. “I just didn’t hit it very solid,” she said. “My driver wasn’t that bad but my irons weren’t good. I just wasn’t trusting anything. I don’t know why, because I wasn’t even that nervous surprisingly. It definitely was a learning experience. I’m only 16, so I’m just learning every tournament.”
Thompson ended up tied for nineteenth but once again she proved that she has the skills to compete on tour. She’s a new, fresh face in women’s golf and the LPGA can certainly use the excitement she brings to the game. She’s off to a great start and there will be many more opportunities for Thompson. The first win is always the toughest, on any tour, just ask Webb Simpson.
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