Lexi Thompson in Las Vegas Proved Successful, and Could Spur More

The LPGA star can take confidence away from her week with the guys, and tournaments see that such invitations can be worthwhile.

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There was considerable consternation over Lexi Thompson’s sponsor invite to the Shriners Children’s Open last week. Not so much directed at the title sponsor, but Thompson.

The LPGA star has had a difficult year. She hasn't won on the LPGA Tour in four years and until a couple of recent top 10s, she was not assured of keeping her LPGA Tour card for next year.

The understandable concern was that this was not the time to try to play against men. For all of Thompson’s considerable talent, did she want to test her game at that level with all of her recent struggles?

So much for that line of thinking.

Lexi Thompson wasn't far from becoming the first woman to make a PGA Tour cut in the modern era :: Ian Maule/AP

Thompson more than acquitted herself in her two-day run in Las Vegas, failing to make the cut but impressing nonetheless. She bombed drives 300 yards, was within the cutline for a time on Friday, and shot respectable scores of 73-69 that would have been better were it not for a few costly mistakes that she would admit could have easily led to her becoming the first woman in the modern era to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.

"Very proud. I played really well today," Thompson said after hitting 12 of 14 fairways and missing just four greens in the second round. “As the day went, I tried to stay committed to my targets out and there and to my swing thoughts and just enjoyed the whole experience.

“I knew I had to play my 'A' game. Just coming into the week there was more of a message than just playing golf. To inspire the kids, that’s what I enjoy most."

Thompson might just inspire herself. When Annika Sorenstam played in a PGA Tour event 20 years ago, she was already a well-established player with a Hall of Fame resume. But the experience gave her confidence. She won five more times that year on the LPGA Tour.

Perhaps Thompson will use this as a confidence boost. She’s just 28 and has so much golf ahead of her.

And it might lead to other PGA Tour events going down this sponsor exemption road, one that always brings unwarranted criticism.

Regular PGA Tour events typically have four sponsor exemptions, with two that must go to PGA Tour/Korn Ferry Tour members. The others are unrestricted, which means a title sponsor or tournament can invite just about anyone.

Unless it’s a controversial celebrity, or in this case a woman, you almost never hear about it. And those spots might go to a local pro or a club pro or an amateur. So there was the typical chirping that Thompson was taking a spot from a more "deserving" player.

“Playing with the guys ... amazing feeling," said Thompson, who has two older brothers who are also professional golfers. “Growing up with guys, I’ve always wanted to be out on a PGA Tour event and tee it up. But the biggest thing was seeing the kids out there outside the ropes and then meeting a few of the Shriners ambassadors. That was the most special."