(Image source: Golf Week)
BY AUSTIN FAX
ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN
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At a time when most girls her age are worried about their driver’s license, the only thing 16-year-old Lexi Thompson cares about is winning LPGA events.
After her victory at the Navistar Classic, she became the youngest player to ever win an LPGA tournament. The Today Show caught up with Thompson on Wednesday as she relived the final hole.
THOMPSON: “It felt crazy, all of the fans going crazy for me. It was the best moment of my life.”
ANCHOR: “I don't want to say something that would jinx you in the future, but there have been golfers coming up to the 18th hole with great leads whose knees start to shake. Were you worried it's still not won?”
THOMPSON: “I had a five-shot lead, so once I got the first tee shot done on the 18, I was so happy.”
Thompson finished the tournament at 17 under par, five strokes ahead of her closest competitor. Golf Digest’s Ron Sirak thinks she might be just what the LPGA is looking for -- something they thought they found years earlier.
“A decade after a tall, young talent was anointed as the home-grown superstar needed for the LPGA to solidify its American fan base, that promise might finally be fulfilled. Not by Michelle Wie -- the one-time 12-year-old darling who is now closing in on 22 -- but rather by 16-year-old Lexi Thompson.”
For Thompson, breaking records is nothing new. She was the youngest golfer to ever qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open at age 12. Yahoo’s Brian Murphy says forget Wie, Thompson is the real deal in women’s golf.
“Thompson is different. She logged a youngest-ever win on the Junior PGA circuit, and qualified her way into those Opens. Thompson isn’t getting 1/100th the hype. She’s home-schooled, looking for a high-school degree and looking to kick some more rear on the golf course.”
So what’s next for Thompson? Golf Week’s Sean Martin reports the prodigy made her intentions clear; she wants to turn pro. But the LPGA might not be on the same page.
“[Thompson’s] victory did not guarantee her membership on the tour, though. LPGA rules state that a player must be 18 to become a member; players younger than 18 can petition for membership. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement Sunday that he would not make a decision on Thompson's membership until receiving a petition from her camp.”
Until the LPGA makes its decision, Thompson will have to be satisfied with her $195,000 in winnings. The Early Show asks, what exactly does a 16-year-old do with that kind of money?
THOMPSON: “I actually donated $20,000 to Wounded Warriors and the rest is just bank account, I guess.”
ANCHOR: “Is your dad going to get any kick back from being your caddy?”
THOMPSON:” I’ll treat him well. (LAUGHS)”
Thompson’s agent says he will not file an appeal until after this week’s Soldheim Classic. There is no timetable for her return to action.
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Transcript by Newsy.
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