Thompson in as LPGA member, packed leaderboard at the Dunhill Links

Minutes ago LPGA commissioner Mike Whan announced as expected that 16 year old Alexi Thompson will be a member of the LPGA tour in 2012, making an exception to the rule that requires a member to be 18.

"Lexi Thompson is a unique talent who has continued to grow, develop and mature both on and off the golf course since turning professional in 2010," Whan said in a statement. "Her overall performance, most recently demonstrated by her win at the Navistar LPGA Classic, has currently placed her among the top 50 in the world on the Rolex Rankings. Additionally, her ability to handle the success and disappointment inherent to this game testifies to a level of maturity that I believe makes her capable of handling the emotional rigors of professional golf. Therefore, effective at the start of our 2012 season, Lexi will officially become a member of the LPGA Tour."


Meanwhile play has wrapped up for the day at the Dunhill Links Championship and unheralded Englishman Tommy Fleetwood 63 and Northern Ireland's Micheal Hoey 66 share the lead at -12, both played Kingsbarns.

Louis Oosthuizen who won the 2010 Open at St Andrews had an opening 66 at Kingsbarns for a share of the lead overnight carried on where he left off at Carnoustie where he shot 67 for a -11 total.

I went to university at Dundee, just down the coast from Carnoustie and in my final year we had to do a field study of a local community and I managed to wrangle Carnoustie. Well I spent the next 3 months with my trusty 7 iron and old putter, hiding on the beach beside the 9th hole called Railroad, then sneaking on through the trees with 3 golf balls when the way was clear, hitting into that green and trying to make the putt to win the Open Championship

The perfect sunny, breathless weather they have enjoyed for the last 2 days is the exception, trust me and as a result the scoreboard is jammed. Heavy rain and a high of 17 is moving in for the weekend, but not a lot of wind until Monday.

for live scoring click  http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2011/tournamentid=2011071/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y

#1 Luke Donald 71 T51 -4..#2 Lee Westwood 69 T19 -7  #3 Rory McIlroy 67 T19 -7 all played Carnoustie.

Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles