LAS VEGAS — Lexi Thompson was once pouring in putts from all over Friday and was once at the verge of constructing the trim within the Shriners Kids’s Unmistakable. Two past due bogeys had been most likely to offer her the weekend off.
Thompson overlooked a 6-foot birdie putt on her ultimate gap on the TPC Summerlin and needed to accept a 2-under 69, escape her no less than 1 shot out of doors the trim form in her bid to turn out to be the primary lady in 78 years to construct a 36-hole trim at the PGA Excursion.
Her 69 was once 1 shot snip of the document through a feminine golfer at the PGA Excursion — Michelle Wie two times shot 68 within the Sony Unmistakable, as soon as as a 14-year-old when she overlooked the trim through a unmarried shot. Thompson’s rating to par of two beneath ties Wie’s 2d rounds on the 2004 and 2006 Sony Unmistakable in Hawaii for the bottom through a lady in a spherical in PGA Excursion historical past, in line with ESPN Stats & Knowledge.
“I knew I had to play my A-game,” Thompson stated, including that golfing was once simplest a part of her being in Las Vegas. “Just coming into the week there was more of a message than just playing golf. To inspire the kids, that’s what I enjoy most.”
Thompson appeared as although she may well be round for all 4 days.
She completed the hole spherical, which were suspended through darkness, through lacking a 20-foot par putt at the seventeenth gap and making par at the 18th for a 73. She started her 2d 9 with a bogey at the tenth gap.
And upcoming the 28-year-old American got here to month. She filled her method to 4 ft at the eleventh for a birdie. She was once simply off the golf green at the par-5 thirteenth and took two putts for birdie. She drove the 296-yard fifteenth inexperienced for a two-putt birdie.
Thompson made the flip and promptly holed a birdie putt from simply within 25 ft, and upcoming she poured in a birdie putt from simply within 30 ft.
She was once 4 beneath for the spherical via 11 holes, and a pair of beneath for the event.
All of it modified with one swing — and one impish choice. Her tee shot at the par-3 5th was once smartly to the best into the local segment, the pin towards the best facet of the golf green. Rather of taking a obese chance through looking to crash out of the barren region, she took a penalty shed for a blank lie 98 yards from the opening and crash wedge to five ft to depart with bogey.
Her hopes pale at the lengthy par-3 8th. She went simply over the golf green, chipped weakly to twelve ft and overlooked the par putt.
She completed at even-par 142. The trim was once at 1 beneath when she walked off the 9th inexperienced, however already was once at 2 beneath nearest she had signed her card. Scoring statuses had been preferrred, and with part the 132-player garden nonetheless at the direction, the trim was once now not anticipated to return again.
Thompson is the 7th lady to play games at the PGA Excursion. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was once the terminating to construct a 36-hole trim in 1945.
The Related Press contributed to this record.
