LEXI THOMPSON EXCLUSIVE PHOTO SHOOT, Plus behind the scenes video and interviews
When Lexi Thompson decided she wanted to rid herself of the 'little girl on the big tour' image, who she gonna call? That's right, GolfPunk!!
Lexi Thompson’s first appearance at a major championship was a complete disaster. She shot 86-82 at the US Open in 2007 and missed the cut by a country mile. Most golfers would have figured that, maybe, just maybe, they weren’t that good after all. Most golfers would have felt so humiliated they would refuse to pick up a golf club ever again. Most golfers, however, don’t qualify for their first US Open aged 12 years and four months.
In fact, most golfers don’t qualify for their second US Open aged 13 (2008) or their third aged 14 (2009). Lexi Thompson did. She even made the cut in 2009, finishing 34th. She was 14 years old, for Seve’s sake!
And another thing!
In 2010, still an amateur, Lexi was undefeated in the Curtis Cup, winning four matches and halving another. She turned pro the following week and signed sponsorship deals with Cobra Puma Golf and Red Bull. Those guys are no fools.
In September 2011 Lexi won her first LPGA tour event, the Navistar Classic by five strokes. She was 16 years old. She wasn’t even a full tour member at this point, having to pre qualify for events on the Monday prior to each tournament. When she won the Navistar, she petitioned the LPGA for full membership. Unsurprisingly, it was approved.
Within a couple of short years, Lexi Thompson had diffused all the crazy hullaballoo around her. All the inflammatory questions:
“Will she even make the cut?”
“Will she be able to handle the pressure?”
“Will she start crying when things go wrong?!”
All these hysterical doubts and questions were shot down before they had even taken flight.
Earlier this year Lexi won the Kraft Nabisco at Mission Hills. After a an astonishing second round 64, Lexi shot 69 on Saturday and went into the final day tied with Michelle Wie. Lexi burned up the front nine building a five shot lead.
Her 68 gave her a three-stroke victory and Lexi was crowned a major champion aged 19 years, one month and 27 days. Thankfully she didn’t have to ask any questions about being the youngest ever Major winner as Morgan Presell had already nailed that one a couple of years earlier. Following her major triumph, Lexi received 91 million impressions in 48 hours. Lexi Thompson was now a superstar.
The only thing left for Lexi to achieve was a cover shoot in GolfPunk. Call us old fashioned, but we’re real suckers for a charming, beautiful, successful golf starlet so we gladly obliged…
