Kid’s Stuff: Thompson, 12, Hangs Tough

Southern Pines, N.C. – The moment her lob wedge made contact with the ball, Alexis Thompson was hoping for the power brakes to kick in. Would she need to repeat the shot again, this time from behind Pine Needles’ diabolical ninth green?

As the ball raced toward the flagstick late Friday morning, it appeared that might be the case.

"It was pretty much going off the green," said the 12 year old from Coral Springs, Fla.

Good thing that flagstick was in the way. The ball hit it squarely in the center and dropped in for an improbable birdie-3. Thompson couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish her first-ever round at a U.S. Women’s Open.

Alexis Thompson, who averaged 227 yards off the tee in the first round, carded two birdies. (John Mummert/USGA)

The 3 gave Thompson a 5-over-par score of 76, putting the seventh-grader in a tie for 93rd place. And equally as impressive, it beat Morgan Pressel’s first-round total from 2001 by a stroke. Pressel shot a pair of 77s and missed the cut when, at 12 years, 11 months, she was the youngest qualifier in the history of this championship. Thompson, who turned 12 in February, surpassed that number by seven months this year.

"If [the ball] goes in, it goes in," said Thompson of the 40-yard, pitch-and-run shot. "I sort of landed it too far. Oh yeah [I was surprised]. So was my dad. I’m like ‘Thank you God!’ "

Thompson was one of the 78 competitors forced to come back early Friday to complete the weather-delayed first round. Thunderstorms on Thursday created nearly a four-hour delay, and Thompson had just finished nine holes – she started on No. 10 – before darkness halted play at 8:25 p.m.

By 9 p.m., Thompson was back at the family’s rented condominium getting a well-needed shower and meal before hitting the bed. But all the excitement from the day – the extra media and fan attention – had Thompson a little wound up.

"I don’t think I got to bed until around 10," she said giddily. "I wanted to be in bed at 9 [p.m.] and we got home at 9. It was unbelievable. I didn’t get much sleep. I think I got like five hours, five and a half hours. That’s enough. I’m still just a kid."

A 5:45 a.m. wake-up was the reality that plenty of work was left to do. Breakfast and the practice range followed before Thompson, who was at three over par when play ended Thursday night, set out to play her final nine holes. She managed to get up and down for bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3 to keep herself mentally in the game. At No. 8, she rolled her long birdie putt 15 feet past the hole before knocking in the uphill par putt.

"I am [OK with the 76] the way I played the last nine," said Thompson. "That wasn’t too good."

Thompson planned to use the hour between the first and second rounds on the practice range to correct her driving problems. She over-hooked several tee shots into the rough and with the length of many of the par-4 holes, Thompson’s only option was to lay up short and try to get up and down for pars.

"Hopefully that gets better," she said.

As for dealing with all the added attention from the media and spectators, Thompson said: "I’m just trying to play like it’s another junior golf tournament except there’s going to be more people, more media. I like the people. I like to do the autographs and everything."

As Thompson walked toward the shuttle van to take her from the ninth scoring trailer back to the clubhouse, she stopped to sign an autograph. Also standing there was defending Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam (1-under 70), who was heading to No. 10 to begin her second round.

The scene made for an interesting paradox.

A Hall of Fame veteran and a kid golfer standing side by side.

For Thompson, it was just another memorable 2007 Women’s Open snapshot.