Lexi Thompson to Play in PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas

The 11-time LPGA Tour winner will become just the seventh woman to tee it up in a PGA Tour event.

Lexi Thompson will become the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event next week at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas. The 11-time LPGA Tour winner accepted a sponsor’s invitation to tee it up at TPC Summerlin for the third event in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup fall. 

Thompson is coming off a T8 finish at the NW Arkansas Championship and a strong performance at the Solheim Cup where she went 3-1 in her matches against Team Europe.

Lexi Thompson will tee it up on the PGA Tour next week in Las Vegas :: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire

“I’m hopeful that my ability to play with the men next week at the Shriners Children’s Open sends a great message to young women that you can chase your dream regardless of how hard it is,” Thompson said in a statement to Golfweek. “I’m grateful to Shriners Children’s for this opportunity to spend the week alongside these inspirational kids.” 

The last LPGA player to tee it up in a PGA Tour event was Brittany Lincicome, teeing it up in the 2018 Barbasol Championship and shooting 78-71. Michelle Wie West came just one stroke shy of making the cut when she accepted a sponsor’s exemption into the 2004 Sony Open. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the first woman to tee it up in a men’s professional event in 1935. At the 1945 Los Angeles Open she made the 36-hole cut but missed the second cut and did not play in Sunday’s final round. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Lexi to the 2023 tournament. We are eager to have Lexi on the course and continue to break through barriers,” said Patrick Linsey, executive tournament director of the Shriners Children's Open.

Lexi will be teeing it up on the @PGATOUR! 👏

11x LPGA Tour winner Lexi Thompson has received an unrestricted sponsor exemption into the Shriners Children's Open next week! pic.twitter.com/2QJ8Azar4E

— LPGA (@LPGA) October 4, 2023

Thompson has one major championship victory, the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She burst onto the LPGA scene in 2007 at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she became the youngest player ever to qualify at 12 years old. Thompson won her first LPGA event at just 16 years old. 

The 28-year-old took an extended break before teeing it up in her first LPGA event of the 2023 season. She has only played in 13 events so far this year, with her best finish coming last week in Arkansas. She recorded her second-best result of the season one week prior to the Solheim Cup—a T19 at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Thompson is currently ranked 13th on the LPGA in driving distance with an average of 270.3 yards off the tee.