If Lexi Thompson felt she had something to prove as the only woman in the field at the Franklin Templeton Shootout, she more than proved she belonged on Thursday.
This week, the world No.5 is paired with the PGA Tour’s Bryson DeChambeau as one of 12 teams competing at Tiburón Golf Club, where the duo finished eagle - birdie to climb to 10-under par and into eighth on the leaderboard.
“I was definitely a little nervous on that first tee, but that’s usual for me, just shows how much you care,” Thompson told Golf Channel after the round. “But I was actually pretty relaxed. I was telling Bryson the last hole I was pretty relaxed the whole day. We had a lot of fun out there.”
Thompson is the first player from the LPGA Tour since Annika Sorenstam in 2006 to compete in this event, which is held on the same course where she competed just three weeks ago at the season ending CME Group Tour Championship. While this is Thompson’s first time teeing it up in this event, it’s not her first time being paired with DeChambeau who also competed with Thompson in June at the CVS Health Charity Classic.
“It was incredible I couldn’t have seen anything better from her, she was handling herself exceptionally and whenever tough times were there we were still awesome,” DeChambeau said about his playing partner. “We pushed through, we ham and egged it pretty darn well and we played good today. We had fun.”
PGA Tour veterans Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly lead the way after carding a 16-under par, 56 in Thursday’s scramble format. Teams will play modified alternate shot on Friday.
Click here for complete scores from day one of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
)
)
)
)
