LAS VEGAS — Lexi Thompson showcased her skills and resilience on Thursday at the Shriners Children’s Open. Despite facing a challenging round, she managed to hold her own until darkness interrupted play.
Leading the pack was Beau Hossler, who equaled his career-best score on the PGA Tour with a remarkable 9-under 62. Hossler’s round included a tee shot that unfortunately landed in the water left of the par-3 17th hole at TPC Summerlin.
Thompson, the main attraction of the FedEx Cup fall event, became the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event in the past five years. She finished 16 holes at 1-over par and decided to mark her ball on the 17th hole, a crucial 20-foot par putt. Thompson plans to resume her first round on Friday at 10:45 a.m. ET with hopes of making the cut.
“I played decent,” commented Thompson. “I had one bad hole and a few questionable shots, but it’s golf; some mistakes were expected.”
Thompson capitalized on two of the par 5s to secure birdies. Additionally, she earned a bonus birdie from a 25-foot putt on the second hole, putting her in the red numbers. However, out of the 17 holes played, Thompson only had five opportunities within 20 feet.
Her front nine seemed to pose a challenge, as she fell short of the green on the par-4 seventh hole, resulting in a 12-foot par putt. Unfortunately, she missed the par putt, leading to a double bogey. On the next hole, the par-3 eighth, Thompson found herself in the rough and left her par putt 6 feet short. Despite the setback, she managed to salvage a bogey, preventing another double bogey. Thompson concluded the front nine with a brilliant 3-wood shot on the par-5 ninth, setting up a two-putt birdie from 30 feet.
“I knew I could secure a birdie as long as I hit the fairway,” Thompson explained. “I aimed to get the 3-wood close to the front of the green and make birdie there. Although my intention was to make an eagle, settling for a birdie was still satisfying.”
For the remainder of her round, Thompson avoided making any more bogeys, despite limited birdie opportunities. She missed an 8-foot putt on the 12th hole and left another 8-foot putt short on the par-5 16th hole.
When darkness suspended play, Thompson found herself tied for 76th place.
Fortunately, Thompson benefited from a favorable draw, even though she played later in the day. The morning began with strong winds and cold temperatures, but the conditions improved as the day progressed, making TPC Summerlin more manageable.
During the morning round, J.T. Poston achieved an impressive score of 63 under tougher conditions. In the afternoon, Hossler showcased his exceptional skills once again by shooting a 62. Hossler, who also shot a 62 in the final round of this year’s 3M Open, demonstrated remarkable precision throughout his round, missing only two greens and capitalizing on the opportunities presented to him.
“Every aspect of my game felt solid,” Hossler remarked. “To achieve such a low score, you need good looks and relatively stress-free birdies.”
Although Hossler made one mistake, landing his tee shot in the water on the 17th hole, he managed to drop near the green and easily salvaged a bogey. He concluded the round with a short birdie putt on the 18th hole to secure his impressive score.
Other notable scores from the afternoon include Cameron Champ with a score of 63, and Davis Thompson and Lanto Griffin both achieving a score of 64. Overall, ten players finished with a score of 66 or better on a course known for its low scores.
These performances set the stage for Lexi Thompson’s challenge in the morning. She will have a putt on the 17th green, complete the 18th hole, and then begin her second round.
Over the past 70 years, Michelle Wie came closest to making the cut among women who competed in the PGA Tour. During the Sony Open in 2004, when she was just 14 years old and a high school freshman, Wie missed it by just one stroke.
Prior to the tournament, Thompson brought a white golf bag and invited children from the Shriners Children’s Hospital to write messages on it. Her sponsor exemption for this event came together in the past two weeks, and she hopes to inspire children throughout the week.
“Shriners does incredible work for these kids, so I’m thrilled to be here and support them in any way possible,” Thompson expressed.
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