Lexi Thompson at TPC Summerlin earlier this week.
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When Peter Malnati, a considerate and energetic PGA Tour member who serves as a participant director on the Tour’s coverage board, final week characterised Lexi Thompson’s forthcoming PGA Tour look as a “gimmick,” he didn’t imply it in a demeaning or spiteful approach. That a lot was clear by the very subsequent sentence out of Malnati’s mouth: “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Malnati’s bigger level in regards to the invitation the Las Vegas-based Shriners Children’s Open prolonged to Thompson: Yes, these may be unsure occasions for fall occasions on the still-evolving Tour calendar, however as followers begin to higher perceive that tournaments this time of yr now decide the destiny of many gamers’ Tour standing, drama, intrigue and curiosity ought to organically comply with.
“I’m pretty sure that the fall is going to be a blockbuster hit,” Malnati mentioned. “I think it’s going to be very successful. But these tournaments, they don’t know yet.”
Whether or not that seems to be true, within the short-term tournaments such because the Sanderson Farms Championship, Butterfield Bermuda Championship, RSM Classic and, sure, the Shriners have been persevering with to battle for consideration and check out to set up identities. For the Shriners this yr, that meant getting artistic and increasing an invitation to Thompson, an LPGA star who has top-10 finishes in her final two begins however largely has had an underwhelming season, lacking eight cuts in 13 stroke-play appearances.
This isn’t the primary time a feminine participant will tee it up on the PGA Tour — six different girls have performed so — however it may be probably the most speedily organized of these exemptions.
The thought surfaced on a telephone name Shriners government director Patrick Lindsey had lower than two weeks in the past with Thompson’s agent, Brett Falker, with whom Lindsey already had a working relationship. Lindsey hadn’t been searching for an LPGA participant to play in his occasion, however because it occurred, Thompson was scheduled to be in Vegas throughout Shriners week anyway for a shoot with certainly one of her sponsors, Cobra Puma. The wheels started turning, and Lindsey and Falker began discussing the concept of Thompson becoming a member of the sector at TPC Summerlin.
That what if rapidly became one of many occasion’s seven sponsor invitations, which the occasion prolonged to Thompson on Oct. 1. “It was basically an automatic yes,” Thompson mentioned earlier this week. “I did have plans this weekend, but they moved to next week now.” Thompson added of the invite, “It was kind of surreal.”
Five days later, the Shriners introduced that Thompson was within the area.
Come Thursday afternoon native time in Vegas, Thompson will turn out to be the third member of her household to have performed on Tour, becoming a member of her older brothers Nick and Curtis. Lindsey described Thompson’s begin as a “nice circle to complete, especially for her parents,” and likewise “an opportunity for Lexi to complete this lifelong dream to play in a PGA Tour event.”
That’s the micro-benefit. The macro is, in fact, the impression Thompson’s presence may have on extending the attain of a smaller-market match competing with Week 6 of the NFL.
“The amount of local and national press has dramatically increased,” Lindsey mentioned. “That’s because of Lexi, and that’s great because we’re able to tell more stories of the amazing work that Shriners does.”
Two PGA Tour execs performed with Lexi Thompson. What’d they assume?
Dylan Dethier
Thompson will even assist draw extra viewers to the Golf Channel telecasts of the primary two rounds, and, within the dream state of affairs through which she makes the minimize, the third and fourth rounds. Of Shriners Children’s, Lindsey mentioned, “Just like any PGA Tour sponsor, eyes on the broadcast is really important, and we knew that Lexi would [help accomplish that].”
The draw back to Thompson’s look, some Tour gamers would let you know — particularly these gamers who’re preventing for his or her livelihoods — is that she is taking a spot that may in any other case go to participant a who desperately wants a begin this week. This isn’t a brand new beef, in fact. There’s at all times grumbling anytime a celeb accepts a PGA Tour or Korn Ferry invite, as have the likes of Tony Romo, Steph Curry and Jerry Rice. Lindsey understands that resentment however believes the professionals far outweigh any cons.
“We always want to make sure that we are doing the right things for players and that we are talking to players and agents,” he mentioned. “We want to make sure that we our field is as strong as possible all the time.”
But Lindsey added: “I can’t sit here and say my thoughts on how other players would react [to Thompson’s exemption] was a huge consideration — it was probably a little bit of a consideration — because at the end of the day, I think having Lexi in the field and on the broadcast, it’s only going to bring more eyes to the broadcast, which will bring more eyes to the golfers who are here and the golfers’ sponsors that are on their shirts and hats and bags. Everyone should be looking at this from a very positive standpoint, because we’re bringing more eyes to the players, Shriners, the city, the golf course, all of it.”
In Lindsey’s many interactions with gamers thus far this week — on the vary, throughout the pro-am — he mentioned he has acquired no gripes or blowback.
Does Thompson’s end result matter this week? It may, positive.
If she struggles to sustain and misses the minimize by a large margin, she’ll nonetheless have completed her purpose of enjoying on Tour and little question have impressed a legion of younger gamers who lookup to her. If she makes the minimize, it’ll be one of many nice sports activities tales of the yr.
For that to occur, Thompson will, maybe above all, want to management her nerves. When Brittany Lincicome performed within the Barbasol Championship 5 years in the past, she opened with a 77 that included double-bogies on two of the par-3s. In the second spherical, when she mentioned she felt far much less jittery, Lincicome shot a 71 that included an eagle and a stretch of three consecutive birdies. (Two rounds of 71 would have left her simply two photographs above the cutline.)
“I’ve been under the microscope I guess since I was 12 years old,” Thompson mentioned. “You just have to block out everything and believe in yourself and go after what you want. No added pressure. That’s what I want. I want to have women support me, and me support them. That’s what it’s all about.”
Thompson’s most blatant drawback will be her size. Though she’s lengthy by LPGA requirements, her 270-yard driving common in 2023 would rank final, albeit by simply a few yards, on the PGA Tour. TPC Summerlin can play up to 7,255 yards, or 817 yards longer than the official yardage at Thompson’s final LPGA begin, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Will Thompson’s inclusion within the area in any approach affect the TPC Summerlin course setup? Lindsey isn’t chargeable for how the course will play however mentioned: “I would say absolutely not. I think they are going to set up this golf course based on how the weather conditions are going to be. The golf course is in incredible shape, and I would imagine they would set it up the same whether there’s a female in the field or not.”
One potential upside for Thompson: The Thursday forecast in Vegas requires wind, which may benefit her decrease ball flight.
Whatever the circumstances, Lindsey mentioned, “I know she’s up for the challenge.”
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