Lexi Thompson involved in another rules issue, but still shoots 64 to stay in contention in her return to play

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:26:33 +0000

Andy Lyons
Lexi Thompson talks with a rules official regarding a ball placement while playing the 10th hole where she was preparing to hit her second shot from the sixth fairway during the third round of the Indy Women In Tech Championship Driven by Group 1001.

By Ryan Herrington
Until Saturday at the Indy Women in Tech Championship, Lexi Thompson’s return to the LPGA after a month-long self-imposed break to mentally re-charge had been seemingly uneventful. The tournament’s defending champion had shot a pair of 68s to jump up the leader board again at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis.

But during the third round, Thompson found herself in the midst of the last thing the 23-year-old wanted: A discussion with an official about a potential rules infraction.

Thompson had teed off on the par-5 10th hole, her drive leaking right into the adjacent sixth fairway. With the round being played under local rules for preferred lies after rains in the area had left the course water logged, Thompson picked up her ball and was going through the procedures to clean and replace it. However, the rule specified that it applies only if the ball is in the fairway of the hole you’re playing.

Seeing what was transpiring, an official stepped in to explain to Thompson the situation. Eventually, she was given a one-stroke penalty, which could have been two strokes had the official not stepped in (the second for playing the ball from a wrong spot).

Of course, Thompson famously was involved in a rules controversy at the 2017 ANA Inspiration, where she was ultimately assessed a four-stroke penalty that cost her the tournament title. In a press conference this week, Thompson talked about the need to step away from play earlier this month, earnestly noting the highs and lows she had suffered since 2017 and the toll they had taken.

Impressively, Thompson did not let Saturday’s mistake get to her. She had made six birdies on her front nine, turning in six-under 30. After making a par on the 10th hole with the extra stroke, Thompson carded two more birdies to close out a bogey-free 64 that left her in fourth place entering Sunday’s final round, five strokes back of leader Lizette Salas.

“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” Thompson said afterward. “Hopefully just go into it and hit it the same way I did these last few days, and still have a few of those—more putts drop, so we’ll see where it goes.”

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Lexi Thompson—and her six final-round birdies—push her past Lydia Ko at Indy Women in Tech Championship

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 04:55:13 +0000

Andy Lyons
Lexi Thompson kisses the Yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning the inaugural Indy Women In Tech Championship at the adjacent Brickyard Crossing Golf Club.

ByBrittany Romano

In a much-anticipated clash of former teen prodigies, it was Lexi Thompson who got the best of Lydia Ko, beating her by four strokes on Saturday to win the inaugural Indy Women in Tech Championship.

Thompson, 22, followed up an opening-round 63 and bogey-free 66 on Friday with a closing 68 to finish 19-under 197 for the tournament. The 20-year-old Ko stayed on her heels until a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 11th, thanks to awkward lie from a divot hole that thwarted her chances of a late-round rally as Thompson pulled away on back nine with three birdies. Ko finished with a 72 on Saturday.

“I knew my game was in a good spot,” Thompson said. “I didn’t play my best golf last week in Portland, but I knew if I worked on it on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday coming into the week, I knew I would have a good chance.”

It was Thompson’s second win of the season after five runner-up finishes, including the controversial loss at the ANA Inspiration in April. This victory maintains her first-place standing in the Race to the CME Globe and will help her surpass Sung Hyun Park to become World No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

The pair started the final round at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, adjacent to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, tied at 15 under, the tournament ending on Saturday to alleviate travel issues for players headed to France for next week’s Evian Championship, the fifth and final major of the 2017 LPGA season.

Despite finishing second, Ko, who fell from the No. 1 ranking in June, had her best performance in 2017—a season riddled with adjustment issues after switching coaches, caddies and equipment. Ko’s touch around the greens seemed strong as ever, she admitted to struggling with her putter. She noted a three-putt on the third hole—her first of the week—as a sign that she might have trouble on Saturday.

“I just wasn’t putting as well as I did the last few days and that makes a huge difference,” Ko said. “When you’re in the final round, final group, you kind of want those putts to drop and unfortunately that wasn’t happening for me.”

Candie Kung started the day trailing Thompson and Ko by one, but after posting two bogeys and a double bogey, she fell to a T-12 finish.

Minjee Lee’s impressive eagle on the par-5 fourth helped cement her third-place finish, five strokes back of Thompson, after starting the round tied for seventh. Rookie Olafia Kristinsdottir, the first Icelandic golf to quailfying for the LPGA, finished fourth after a chip-in eagle on 18.

To celebrate her win, Thompson took a victory lap around the Indy 500 track in a Corvette Stingray.

“I got it up to 122 [miles per hour],” Thompson said. “It felt good.”

Also keeping with the traditions of victories at the racetrack, Thompson poured milk over her head and kissed the bricks at the finish line. She was the first woman to kiss the bricks after a victory in competition.

“It was a huge honour to be here in Indiana to be able to kiss those bricks,” Thompson said. “Definitely a memory that I’ll never forget.”

The post Lexi Thompson—and her six final-round birdies—push her past Lydia Ko at Indy Women in Tech Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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Lexi Thompson involved in another rules issue, but still shoots 64 to stay in contention in her return to play

Lexi Thompson—and her six final-round birdies—push her past Lydia Ko at Indy Women in Tech Championship