Over the course of seven months between the 2013 and 2014 LPGA Tour seasons, Lexi Thompson played some of the best golf of her career.
The then 19-year-old racked up three wins between October and April which included holding off Michelle Wie to capture the ANA Inspiration by carding a final round, bogey-free four-under par, 68 for her first major title.
But when Thompson arrived at Blythefield Country Club 15-months later for the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, she remained in search of that first post-major victory. Her game was still in top form; she had posted nearly a dozen top-10 finishes since.
It was her mental game that needed a change.
“I had been working on the mental side of the game with John Denny down in south Florida and that has helped me out tremendously just to relax and have fun instead of just grinding 24/7 on the golf course,” Thompson said. “It’s helped me out a lot. I knew it was coming, I was just trying to be patient.”
That new attitude served Thompson well heading into Sunday’s final round in Grand Rapids where she started the day four shots back of leader Lizette Salas.
“I never really counted myself out. I had to make a lot of birdies going into Sunday and fire at the pins and play aggressive and that was my main goal for the day, just don’t hold back and play aggressive and see where it took me and it ended up working out.”
Thompson got off to a hot start, making birdie on three of her first five holes of the day to close within one-stroke of Salas, who started the day with five consecutive pars. Then at the par four, seventh hole a two-shot swing gave Thompson a share of the lead at 16-under par, which she held on to as she made the turn to go out in four-under, 32. Another two-shot swing at the par four, 10th hole gave Thompson the outright lead and she didn’t let up, extending her lead to as many as three-strokes on the back nine before stumbling at the 17th hole. With adrenaline pumping, Thompson’s wedge into the par four bounced off the back of the green and into the bunker.
“Yeah, 17 just didn’t like me,” said Thompson. “I bogeyed it quite a few times. But, you know I hit a good bunker shot, I had a good opportunity for par, unfortunately missed it. But I just really tried to let it go, put a smile on my face after 17 and just refocus on the last hole because I knew I had to par or birdie to win.”
It was once again that new attitude that helped Thompson put the bogey behind her as she approached the final hole of the day with a one-stroke lead. But it was that 18th hole that would perhaps prove to be the toughest test as to whether her new outlook would hold steady under pressure - or a sneeze.
A young spectator at the 72nd hole sneezed during Thompson’s backswing at the par four, which distracted Thompson and sent her drive sailing into the right rough. Despite the narrow one-stroke lead she held, with the Tournament now possibly hanging in the balance, Thompson kept her cool. All she could do was smile and joke about the timing of the sneeze with her caddie as the two made their way off the tee to find her ball.
“I hit it in the right rough and got pretty lucky with having a shot in the trees over there in the rough and hit a good shot to about 20 feet,” said Thompson. “I called my caddie over and I told him to give me something to think about and get my mind off it. He just said something so random like, food. And I’m like, of course. But it kept me relaxed, got me laughing and it helped me go into the putt confident.”
Thompson drained the putt for par to post a final round six-under par, 65 to capture the second playing of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give for her fifth career win on the LPGA Tour.
“I’ve always loved Blythefield where they play the Meijer LPGA Classic and I felt good about my game going into that week. There was a big stretch where I didn’t after the ANA Inspiration. So, to win there in Michigan brought a lot of great memories and I love the course and the area is just an amazing place.”
That victory in Grand Rapids reignited the year for Thompson who went on to close out the year with five top-10 finishes and a second victory at the LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship.
“I think the win at the Meijer LPGA Classic really helped me the rest of the year, really helped me with my confidence. I knew I was playing well going into the tournaments before that also. But to get the win under your belt just shows how the hard work paid off and gave you more confidence going into the rest of the year, which it did.”
This year, Thompson returns to Michigan to defend her title as the top-ranked American in the world at No.3 in the Rolex Rankings.
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