Back in 2007, a 12-year-old girl called Alexis Thompson made history at the US Women’s Open by becoming the youngest-ever qualifier at the time. Since then, Lucy Li took over the most-junior entrant mantel, aged 11 in 2014.
But almost two decades on from Thompson’s own record-breaking week, not only is she set for another crack at the event, but it will be Thompson’s 18th championship in a row.
A lengthy and successful career on the LPGA Tour means Thompson has not relied on qualifying very often since her debut, but a US Women’s Open title does continue to elude the World No.49 – even after breaking her Major duck in 2014 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, days on from her 19th birthday.
Thompson was the second-youngest women’s Major champion when she won what is now the Chevron Championship – one of 15 professional victories.
While she failed to make the cut on debut, or in the subsequent season, Thompson’s breakthrough would arrive in 2010 – the same year she turned pro. 12 months after recording a very respectable T34 result as a 14-year-old, the Florida-born talent finished just inside the top-10 as a 15-year-old.
Lexi Thompson walks down 18 at Pine Needles with her father Scott Thompson during the 2007 US Women’s Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Since then, Thompson has gradually improved on her highest-ever position multiple times, scoring T7 as a 19-year-old in 2014, clinching T5 in 2018, and ending T2 in 2019.
Yet, perhaps the closest Thompson ever came to lifting arguably the most prestigious trophy in the women’s game arrived in 2021 when she ended solo third.
Thompson was five clear midway through the final round of the 2021 championship at The Olympic Club before slipping back into the pack and finishing bogey-bogey to miss out on a playoff. Yuka Saso ended up defeating Nasa Hataoka on the third hole of a sudden-death shootout to claim victory.
Meanwhile, in 2023, Thompson’s 17th US Women’s Open saw her miss the cut at Pebble Beach as eventual champion, Allisen Corpuz battled to nine-under in California.
The 11-time LPGA Tour winner described the iconic course as “hard” following a first-round 74 last year in which playing partner and now World No.1 Nelly Korda shot 76.
Thompson said: “It always plays difficult. Tee shots are hard, and bunkers have a lot of sand…
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