WILLIAMSBURG, Va - Annika. Se Ri. Cristie. Karrie.
The list of names that have won on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort is a who’s who of dominant stars over the last two decades. And that's just on the LPGA. PGA TOUR staples like David Duval, Notah Begay, Fuzzy Zoeller and Lanny Wadkins won when the men played by the James River from the early 1980s through the early 2000s.
Lexi Thompson added her name to this prestigious list in 2017 with an extraordinaire display of golf, a tournament record 20-under par.
It jumped started her season.
She finished inside the top 10 in four of her next six starts after the win in Williamsburg and went on to win the Vare Trophy and the Race to the CME Globe.
“It was a memorable week,” said Thompson in the media center on Tuesday. “I felt very comfortable, it is one of my favorite weeks. I have my mom with me and she cooks for me every day. This is a very supportive community.”
Lexi is excited to enjoy chicken, tacos and specialty salads that her mom, Judy, will whip up.
The Rolex Rankings world No. 3 is in a similar situation to last year. She started the season with two top 10s, but doesn’t have one in her last five starts.
“This is a golf course I feel comfortable on,” said the 23-year-old. “I’ve been playing well, it is just a matter of time before everything falls into place.”
The Kingsmill Championship was also a turning point off the course, even though she didn’t know it at the time. It was when Judy was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Lexi gave an update on her mother, who was watching with the bright smile of a proud parent from the back of the media center.
“She just got her CT scan a few weeks ago and it’s clear, so that’s a huge relief,” said Thompson. “She’s been my number one role model throughout my entire life.”
Things are trending upwards for Lexi on and off the course. She took off the week of the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic to sharpen her tools. In particular, she focused on her putting stroke and spent three to four hours a day on the green. She currently ranks 52nd in putts per Greens in Regulation.
“I’m really trying to get my stroke grooved and get more comfortable on the greens,” explained Thompson. “I’m doing drills to make sure I’m taking it straight back and straight through so I feel more confident over it.”
Confidence will undoubtedly lead to more success. However, even at No. 3 in the world, she doesn’t spend much time thinking about the rankings.
She's ready to make the Kingsmill Championship an annual springboard to a special season.
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