It’s easy to think of Lexi Thompson as a veteran of the LPGA Tour and in terms of experience she is, but the American is still only 28 as she teed it up for her 17th straight US Women’s Open appearance.
Thompson burst onto the scene when qualifying for the 2007 US Women’s Open as just a 12-year-old girl – and she’s since grown up on the golf course into one of the biggest stars in the women’s game.
And despite everything that’s been going on over the years Thompson has not missed a US Women’s Open since – although she’s never managed to lift the trophy.
Thompson teed it up at Pebble Beach for the 2023 US Women’s Open to continue her proud record of consecutive appearances, but found it tough going like several high-profile stars did.
Feature group struggles at Pebble Beach
Playing as part of the feature group as the women’s game made history at Pebble Beach, Thompson and the best two players in the world Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda all struggled in a combined 13 over par.
They endured a shocking start on the 10th, with Korda slicing her opening drive off a cliff to start with a double bogey while Ko and Thompson both dropped a shot.
In misty and murky conditions regularly seen during men’s events at Pebble Beach, Thompson managed the best round of the group with a two-over 74 just about keeping her in touch but six shots off the lead.
Korda’s 76 means she’s struggling while Ko will do very well to make the cut after her 79 put her just one shot better off than 52-year-old golfing legend Annika Sorenstam and on the same score as Amy Olson – who is seven months pregnant.
Thompson simply described Pebble Beach as “hard” in her post-round assessment of a difficult start.
“I know there could be a lot more wind than there is today,” Thompson said. “It always plays difficult. Tee shots are hard, and bunkers have a lot of sand and the rough is up really thick. It’s definitely a Major championship golf course.”
Lexi Thompson’s US Women’s Open record
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Thompson was the second-youngest women’s Major champion when she won the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship shortly after her 19th birthday, but the US Women’s Open has just eluded her.
She missed the cut as a young girl in her first two, then finished T10 in just her fourth appearance, before adding a T7 in 2014 the year she won her only Major to date.
The 11-time LPGA winner has been getting closer in recent years, finishing T5, T2 and third in the space of four years, before a T20 last year.
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