What Were You Doing When You Were 12?
On second thought, we probably don't want to hear about it.
Pretty sure you weren’t qualifying to play in your country’s National Open golf championship. But Lexi Thompson was:
- At age 12, she became the then youngest ever US Women’s Open qualifier
- Qualified again at ages 13 and 14
Putting her already lengthy career at the ripe age of 26 into some perspective:
- 52 major championships played
- Made 43 of 52 cuts -> 190 rounds of major golf already played!
- Longest current streak of US Women’s Opens
That’s more venues played just at majors than most of us have played in our lives. Also, just her total rounds of golf in majors betters some golfers last decade of playing.
For comparison, PGA stars with early success when they played their 190th major round:
- Tiger, ‘07 PGA, age 31
- Phil, ‘04 PGA, age 34
- Sergio, ‘12 US Open, age 32
Taking into account the “extra” major on the LPGA, the equivalent for Tiger, Phil and Sergio playing in their 156th rounds (80% of 190 rounds) were still age 29, 32 and 30, respectively.
This level of major experience in a young player is completely unprecedented.
Although she had a tough finish this weekend at the notoriously fickle Olympic Club (where fan favorites seemingly never win US Opens), she surely has lots of great golf left.
She is only now approaching her athletic prime, already coupled with 11 competition-filled years on the LPGA Tour in her back pocket!
