Lexi Thompson was surprised at the windy conditions during the third round of The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America. On her drive Saturday morning to Old American Golf Club she said the wind didn't seem to be much of a factor. But after stepping onto the golf course she suffered three bogeys in her first five holes. It didn’t take her long to realize that Mother Nature and the 15 mph winds that were swirling about were going to be a battle on Moving Day.
And battle Thompson did.
She rallied from her difficult start with four birdies, offset by a single bogey on the back nine, to get her day back to Even par. Saturday, Thompson shot 71 to remain five-strokes back of 54-hole leader Hyo Joo Kim and sit in a share of second with Sarah Kemp with one round to go in Texas.
“I fought strong and gave myself the birdie opportunities and made a few,” Thompson said on Saturday. “If you get down it's only going to get worse.”
Thompson said the key to rallying her round was by continuing to remind herself that there are other birdie opportunities throughout the course, and she found them on Saturday. Her favorite birdie of the day came at the par five 17th hole where she says she hit a “not-so-great” approach to the green but bounced back with a 30-yard flop shot which she nestled within 12 feet of the hole and was able to roll in for her last birdie of the day.
“There was a few not-so-great shots, but it's golf,” Thompson said about her round. “I'll focus on the good ones and take that into tomorrow.”
And as for tomorrow, Thompson says she’ll be focused on only those things that she can control. She anticipates that the wind will continue to be a factor, but to what degree the winds will gust will determine how low Thompson is able to go in trying to chase down Kim.
“This golf course is gettable, but all depends on wind. If it gets super windy, pars are better out there, and you've got to take advantage of the shorter holes and make birdies there,” Thompson said about how she’ll approach the course on Sunday.
It’s the second consecutive weekend that Thompson has given her a shot at hoisting a trophy on the LPGA Tour. Her season’s turnaround began ahead of the Solheim Cup when Thompson picked up her best finish of the year, a tie for 19th at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. Then came the Solheim Cup where she secured three points for the American side. And in the back-to-back weeks since returning from Spain, she’s given herself a chance to win. Thompson held a share of the lead at one point during the final round in Arkansas but faded on the closing stretch to drop into a tie for eighth for her first top 10 finish of the season. Sunday, she’s put herself in position once more to return to the winner’s circle, which she’s been fighting for since 2019.
“Really, all I can do is focus on my game and emotions,” Thompson said about her approach to Sunday’s final round in Texas. “And whatever happens and leads me, I'm going to be proud of myself no matter what.”
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