Although the world of golf is traditionally divided into male and female segments, the sight of distinguished male and female golfers teeing it up together is always a rare and delightful spectacle.
Recently, Lexi Thompson, a highly coveted female golfer, received an invitation to play at the Shriners Children Open in Las Vegas, breaking a five-year streak since the last woman, Brittany Lincicome in 2018, competed on the PGA Tour.
Thompson, an 11-time LPGA winner, though falling short of making the cut, unquestionably justified her sponsor’s invitation. The million-dollar question now is whether selecting Lexi Thompson over Nelly Korda, the LPGA cover girl, was the right choice.
Both Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson are accomplished and respected golfers on the LPGA Tour, representing the two faces of female golf. Both were part of this year’s US Solheim Cup team, which, unfortunately, lost to their European counterparts.
After the defeat, Nelly Korda took a week of silence, missing subsequent LPGA events. During her absence, Lexi Thompson partnered with Rickie Fowler at the Shriners Children Open.
Lexi Thompson has substantial experience playing with her male counterparts, having competed in several Pro-AM rounds. Her previous appearances with male golfers demonstrated her ability to compete at an equal level.
While Nelly Korda may be more popular and a fan favorite, choosing Lexi Thompson was far from being a bad or wrong decision. Lexi became the seventh woman in history to play in a PGA Tour event and go head-to-head with male golfers.
Lexi Thompson has been playing with male golfers throughout her life, benefiting from her brothers, Curtis Thompson and Nicholas Thompson, who held PGA Tour cards. In 2022, she partnered with Denny McCarthy for the PGA Tour’s QBE Shootout, tying for fifth place.
Her performance earned praise from PGA Tour pros Max Homa and Kevin Kisner, highlighting her skills and ability to compete with male golfers.
At the Shriners Children Open, Lexi Thompson justified her selection with her performance. Although her first day started with a rough patch, she demonstrated her talent with a 20-foot birdie on the second hole.
Her overall performance was commendable, even though she missed the cut. Lexi’s experience and ability to compete at the PGA Tour level showcased that there was no wrong choice in selecting her over Nelly Korda.
