The LPGA is set to allow teenage phenom Alexis Thompson to become a member of their tour aged 16 as opposed to their normal 18 year old requirement and I for one applaud their decision,although it won't be announced until after this week's Solheim Cup in Ireland.
Simply put the LPGA needs a young American hero to sell to the public and Lexi is just that. She is colourful, fun, bubbly, young and most importantly bloody good, good enough to play week in and out against the flock of international stars, especially Asian who have been dominating for several years now.
Here is part of an AP release..
The agent for the 16-year-old golfer has indicated that a resolution is forthcoming next week which should see her granted LPGA membership. "We are not going to be in Venice, Florida," agent Bobby Kreusler told Golf World when asked about Thompson chances of taking part in Stage II of Q-School. "We are filing a petition, but we are not going to do anything that detracts from the Solheim Cup. ...I believe ultimately everyone will be on the same page."
Even LPGA commissioner Michael Whan appeared to soften his stance upon arriving in Ireland for this week's Solheim Cup event. "As you know, there is nothing for me to say or react to, until (or if) they petition," was his response to Golf World when asked if anything had changed with the Thompson situation.
Thompson became the youngest player in history to win an LPGA event last weekend, prompting many players and golf observers to call on the Tour to waive its 18-year-old age restriction and give Thompson immediate membership. Whan was cautious in his initial response, saying if she should qualify via Q-school, then she would be granted membership for the 2012 season .
That wasn't good enough for some with veteran player Juli Inkster saying it was "silly" to allow her to go through qualifying for what many percieved to be an inevitable outcome. Thompson easily won the first stage of Q-school by 10 strokes.
Kreusler added Thompson's win will not alter her development plan, telling Golf World she still intends to play between 15 and 18 events a year. “I'm not going to be playing on the men's tour,” Thompson said Tuesday when asked if she'd consider playing any PGA Tour events, as Michelle Wie did before she joined the LPGA Tour full-time. “I really just want to focus on women's golf. They're so good out here. You have to shoot 20 under every week to win.”
And while she said winning her first LPGA Tour event was “way more exciting” than getting her driver's license earlier this year, she needed a second or two to think it over.
“I have the same lifestyle as a lot of high schoolers — playing sports, just working hard,” Thompson said. “I have sacrificed a lot for this game but this is what I love.”
Unlike Wie, who was touted from grade school on as “the next Tiger Woods,” Thompson is only now beginning to catch the general public's attention. But she is personable and photogenic, and her deals with Cobra-Puma Golf and Red Bull could help the LPGA expand its appeal with that all-important youth market.
Just look at what Rickie Fowler is doing for the men's side. Fowler is in only his second year as a professional, but kids are showing up at tournaments in droves wearing his flat-billed Puma caps and trademark orange shirts.
“I want women's golf to be more well-known and to be out there. It is amazing to watch how the girls play and how low they shoot,” Thompson said. “There's a lot of great young players coming up and on tour. Fans just need to see it.”
In the 15 months since she turned professional, Thompson has played 14 events, had three top-10 finishes and earned more than US$500,000. She also is the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Open, as a 12-year-old in 2007.
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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