16 year old Thompson shares lead in Avnet Classic

By John Zenor, AP
April 30, 2011

MOBILE, AL — Sixteen-year-old Alexis Thompson moved into position to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history by shooting a 5-under 67 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Song-Hee Kim in the Avnet LPGA Classic.

Kim had a 70 to match Thompson at 7-under 209 on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove complex.

“I’m going into (Sunday) just going all-in on every golf shot,” Thompson said. “Play consistent like I have the last few days and hopefully it’ll all go well.”

Thompson will be 16 years, 2 months, 21 days on Sunday. Marlene Hagge was 18 years, 14 days when she won the 1952 Sarasota Open, which was an 18-hole event. Hagge won two 18-hole events at age 18. Paula Creamer is the youngest winner of a multi-round event, winning the 2005 Sybase Classic at 18 years, 9 months, 17 days.

Amy Yang was a stroke back after a 72, and Maria Hjorth (67), Suzann Pettersen (71) and Karen Stupples (72) were 5 under. Second-round leader Sandra Gal was 4 under after a 75.

Thompson played in the U.S. Women’s Open at 12, and turned pro last year after going 5-0 for the United States in the Curtis Cup.

Thompson said she didn’t notice her top spot on the leaderboard until she was heading up to the 18th green.

“I hadn’t been looking at the leaderboard, since I’m not trying to worry about that,” she said.
Thompson dodged trouble on the finishing hole after hitting her approach into the greenside rough.

“I was just hoping, ‘Don’t go in the bunker,”’ she said. “When I hit it, I was just like, ‘Wow, that was really bad.’ But that’s golf. You hit shots like that. You’ve just got to take it and go find it.”
And she did. But Kim saved par after landing in the bunker.

“I had a great lie on the bunker so I knew I had par,” Kim said. “I had a lot of confidence. That’s why I made par.”

Thompson made a number of mid-range putts, including one on No. 16 for the last of her six birdies.

“We got the wind right on a lot of holes today,” said Scott Thompson, her father and caddie. “We were pretty good at judging the wind and when we did make a mistake like (on 18), she recovered from it. She’s hitting it good. She made a lot of putts. She made like five putts from about 12-15 feet, which sometimes we don’t make.”

Gal struggled after opening with rounds of 70 and 67 to enter the day with a one-stroke lead over Yang.

“It kind of played tough today,” Gal said. “The greens were really bouncy, and I just wasn’t striking the ball as well. Basically, a par round and I would have been happy today but I missed three short putts.

“I’m still in the mix. I’m just three shots back, so nothing to worry about.”

Hjorth overcame back-to-back bogeys early with three birdies over the final 10 holes coupled with an eagle on the par-5 16th hole.

She set up her 15-foot eagle putt with a 3-wood approach.

“It was a really good second shot,” said Hjorth, who won in 2007 on a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course in Prattville. “The wind was coming up so it was kind of the perfect shape to get into the pin.”

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16 year old Thompson shares lead in Avnet Classic

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