Lexi Thompson Wins 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship

Lexi Thompson (click to enlarge)

Now that was impressive. For the last 7 months or so, I have been banging the drum to herald the ascension of Lexi Thompson as the near future best female golfer on the planet. Another step was taken towards that fruition as the 19-year old romped to victory at the first Major of the LPGA season, the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship. Along the way, Lexi turned a highly anticipated battle with Michelle Wie into a rout. Thompson was nearly flawless, never allowing Michelle, or anybody else, into contention. Her tee shots were long and accurate. Her approach shots peppered the pins. Even her putting, considered the weakest part of her game, was true on this day. She doesn’t have to be the best putter in the world to win. So long as she maintains the level she had closing the door on the field in the final round going forward, she will be difficult for anybody to handle.

Lexi tees off on hole 1 (click to enlarge)

Lexi meant business from the opening hole, birdying to reach -11, one shot ahead of Michelle. Thompson’s only slight wobble was on the second hole where she found rough off the tee, on her second shot and the back rough around the green on her third shot. But it was a par 5 and a good chip allowed her to get in range to save par. She’d go on to birdie the fourth, fifth and ninth holes to get to 14-under. Meanwhile, Michelle just wasn’t moving much. She had a birdie and two bogies on the front 9, having problems holding the green with some of her approach shots. By the turn she trailed by 5 shots and had even let Se Ri Pak back into contention for 2nd place. The killer miss was a pushed par putt attempt on the eighth hole. At that point Lexi was at 13-under while Michelle and Se Ri were tied at 9-under. Once Lexi nailed a 10-foot birdie putt on 9 to get to 14-under and a 5 shot lead, it felt over. It was over. Michelle needed to pull her driver more than she did on the back 9. She needed to take some risks to win. But it seemed like she had a strategy not to lose. It was time to risk losing big to win big. Lexi played the final nine holes at even par, while Michelle could only make up 2 shots, never getting closer that 3 strokes.

Lexi takes the Poppie’s Pond plunge (click to enlarge)

There are a lot of great young players, including Michelle Wie, that could make a lot of noise in the coming years. Lydia Ko, Jessica Korda, Charley Hull and Ariya Jutanugarn are all potential superstars of the sport. But I have maintained that Lexi is a near future world #1 and it sure feels like the future is getting close to being the present. I’m not saying Lexi will hold the top spot unchallenged or even for an unbroken duration. But she will be there with the other challengers. And when all the trophies are counted at the end of everybody’s career, she might be the best of them all.

 

ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE

TOP 4 (and ties)

1 LEXI THOMPSON (-14)

with her parents

2 MICHELLE WIE (-11)

3 STACY LEWIS (-7)

T4 SE RI PAK (-6)

T4 CRISTIE KERR (-6)

 

…AND SELECTED PICS FROM THE REST OF THE FIELD

T24 MINJEE LEE (E, low amateur)

T7 CHARLEY HULL (-4)

Pos	Start	Start Proj		Player		ToPar	Thru	Today	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	Earnings
	1	T1	12	5		THOMPSON, Lexi	-14	F	-4	73	64	69	68	274	$300,000
	2	T1	15	7		WIE, Michelle	-11	F	-1	67	71	68	71	277	$187,584
	3	T9	4	2		LEWIS, Stacy	-7	F	-3	73	70	69	69	281	$136,079
	T4	T5	25	17		KERR, Cristie	-6	F	E	69	70	71	72	282	$94,998
	T4	T3	27	18		PAK, Se Ri	-6	F	+2	67	70	71	74	282	$94,998
	6	T7	35	T29		FENG, Shanshan	-5	F	E	66	73	72	72	283	$69,323
	T7	T9	29	23		STANFORD, Angela	-4	F	E	74	69	69	72	284	$51,522
	T7	T9	5	6		MUNOZ, Azahara	-4	F	E	72	70	70	72	284	$51,522
	T7	T3	T126	56		HULL, Charley	-4	F	+4	73	69	66	76	284	$51,522
	10	T9	14	14		YANG, Amy	-3	F	+1	68	73	71	73	285	$41,594
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	T11	T34	T41	32		MASSON, Caroline	-2	F	-3	73	72	72	69	286	$33,911
	T11	T19	11	13		PRESSEL, Morgan	-2	F	-1	70	70	75	71	286	$33,911
	T11	T15	1	1		WEBB, Karrie	-2	F	+1	73	70	70	73	286	$33,911
	T11	T9	13	15		PILLER, Gerina	-2	F	+2	77	65	70	74	286	$33,911
	T11	T5	30	27		MATTHEW, Catriona	-2	F	+4	72	68	70	76	286	$33,911
	T16	T27	T41	34		LEE, Mi Hyang	-1	F	-1	72	72	72	71	287	$24,289
	T16	T19	56	T42		JOH, Tiffany	-1	F	E	70	75	70	72	287	$24,289
	T16	T19	T78	53		KIM, Christina	-1	F	E	74	69	72	72	287	$24,289
	T16	T19	19	20		CHOI, Na Yeon	-1	F	E	72	71	72	72	287	$24,289
	T16	18	2	3		NORDQVIST, Anna	-1	F	+1	71	69	74	73	287	$24,289
	T16	T15	T126	T80		LEE, Jee Young	-1	F	+2	71	75	67	74	287	$24,289
	T16	T9	T126	T80		SHIN, Jiyai	-1	F	+3	69	73	70	75	287	$24,289
	T16	T7	8	10		CHOI, Chella	-1	F	+4	70	72	69	76	287	$24,289
	T24	T34	7	9		KORDA, Jessica	E	F	-1	73	73	71	71	288	$20,335
	T24	T27				*LEE, Minjee	E	F	E	75	68	73	72	288
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	T26	T19				*HENDERSON, Brooke	+1	F	+2	77	68	70	74	289
	T26	T19	28	28		PARK, Hee Young	+1	F	+2	72	72	71	74	289	$19,257
	T26	T15	16	16		LEE, Mirim	+1	F	+4	71	72	70	76	289	$19,257
	T29	T47	T126	T93		*LEE, Alison	+2	F	-1	75	74	70	71	290
	T29	T47	T45	T38		SERGAS, Giulia	+2	F	-1	73	74	72	71	290	$17,125
	T29	T27	24	26		JI, Eun-Hee	+2	F	+2	74	73	69	74	290	$17,125
	T29	T27	6	8		KO, Lydia	+2	F	+2	73	70	73	74	290	$17,125
	T29	T19	60	48		MARTIN, Mo	+2	F	+3	73	68	74	75	290	$17,125
	T34	T57	3	4		CREAMER, Paula	+3	F	-1	72	74	74	71	291	$14,583
	T34	T47	23	25		GAL, Sandra	+3	F	E	72	70	77	72	291	$14,583
	T34	T45	T53	47		URIBE, Mariajo	+3	F	+1	72	72	74	73	291	$14,583
	T34	T27	51	46		LINDBERG, Pernilla	+3	F	+3	73	74	69	75	291	$14,583
	38	T34	9	11		PARK, Inbee	+4	F	+3	74	70	73	75	292	$13,146
	T39	T47	89	64		KIM, I.K.	+5	F	+2	74	73	72	74	293	$11,180
	T39	T47	47	T42		EWART SHADOFF, Jodi	+5	F	+2	76	70	73	74	293	$11,180
	T39	T34	20	22		SHIN, Jenny	+5	F	+4	74	73	70	76	293	$11,180
	T39	T34	101	73		WALSHE, Alison	+5	F	+4	73	74	70	76	293	$11,180
	T39	T34	T45	41		SUWANNAPURA, Thidapa	+5	F	+4	73	72	72	76	293	$11,180
	T39	T27	38	35		KONGKRAPHAN, P.K.	+5	F	+5	74	74	68	77	293	$11,180
	T39	T27	17	19		PHATLUM, Pornanong	+5	F	+5	71	73	72	77	293	$11,180
	T46	T47	18	21		ICHER, Karine	+6	F	+3	75	72	72	75	294	$8,909
	T46	T47				*VU, Lilia	+6	F	+3	73	73	73	75	294
	T46	T47	T126	108		KANG, Jimin	+6	F	+3	76	69	74	75	294	$8,909
	T46	T34	75	62		LEE, Ilhee	+6	F	+5	78	69	70	77	294	$8,909
	T46	T34	21	24		RYU, So Yeon	+6	F	+5	70	72	75	77	294	$8,909
	T51	T59				*OH, Su-Hyun	+7	F	+2	74	74	73	74	295
	T51	T45	T94	T78		CASTRALE, Nicole	+7	F	+5	71	73	74	77	295	$7,805
	T51	T34	99	83		ERNST, Austin	+7	F	+6	71	74	72	78	295	$7,805
	T51	T19	T64	58		KANG, Haeji	+7	F	+8	70	74	71	80	295	$7,805
	T55	T67	32	33		LEE, Meena	+8	F	+1	74	74	75	73	296	$6,881
	T55	T67	58	57		BOELJON, Christel	+8	F	+1	73	72	78	73	296	$6,881
	T55	T34	34	36		YOO, Sun Young	+8	F	+7	74	72	71	79	296	$6,881
	T55	T34	T126	T117		JANG, Ha Na	+8	F	+7	73	73	71	79	296	$6,881
	T59	T72	49	51		LINCICOME, Brittany	+9	F	E	77	72	76	72	297	$6,265
	T59	T63	T126	T121		YOKOMINE, Sakura	+9	F	+3	75	70	77	75	297	$6,265
	T61	T63	T73	T70		KANG, Danielle	+10	F	+4	76	73	73	76	298	$5,751
	T61	T59	T126	T124		KIM, Sei Young	+10	F	+5	75	70	76	77	298	$5,751
	T61	T59	71	68		CIGANDA, Carlota	+10	F	+5	73	69	79	77	298	$5,751
	T64	T63	39	45		NOMURA, Haru	+11	F	+5	75	72	75	77	299	$5,170
	T64	T59	36	40		HEDWALL, Caroline	+11	F	+6	71	74	76	78	299	$5,170
	T64	T47	T126	T127		INKSTER, Juli	+11	F	+8	76	70	73	80	299	$5,170
	T67	T72	50	55		HARIGAE, Mina	+12	F	+3	76	72	77	75	300	$4,775
	T67	T70	66	T70		MIYAZATO, Ai	+12	F	+4	77	71	76	76	300	$4,775
	T67	T67	62	65		HAN, Hee-Won	+12	F	+5	75	73	75	77	300	$4,775
	T67	T47	T126	T131		ROSALES, Jennifer	+12	F	+9	69	74	76	81	300	$4,775
	T71	T70	40	49		SCHREEFEL, Dewi Claire	+13	F	+5	75	74	75	77	301	$4,468
	T71	T57	59	66		KUNG, Candie	+13	F	+9	74	70	76	81	301	$4,468
	73	T63				*YIN, Angel	+14	F	+8	68	79	75	80	302
Players below this line have missed the cut.
	CUT		T109	T114		PACE, Lee-Anne	+6			79	71			150
	CUT		48	54		CARTER, Dori	+6			77	73			150
	CUT		122	T131		GULBIS, Natalie	+6			77	73			150
	CUT		T69	T76		JUTANUGARN, Moriya	+6			77	73			150
	CUT		43	50		UEHARA, Ayako	+6			76	74			150
	CUT		55	61		JOHNSON, Jennifer	+6			74	76			150
	CUT		44	52		SUH, Jenny	+6			74	76			150
	CUT		10	12		SALAS, Lizette	+6			73	77			150
	CUT		T119	T127		MCCLOSKEY, Lisa	+7			81	70			151
	CUT		T73	T80		WRIGHT, Lindsey	+7			80	71			151
	CUT		26	31		GRANADA, Julieta	+7			78	73			151
	CUT		T126	T139		MCBRIDE, Maria	+7			78	73			151
	CUT		63	69		OH, Ji Young	+7			78	73			151
	CUT					*TALLEY, Emma	+7			78	73			151
	CUT		T106	T111		HUR, Mi Jung	+7			77	74			151
	CUT		57	63		VEDEL, Line	+7			76	75			151
	CUT		33	T38		TSENG, Yani	+7			75	76			151
	CUT		72	T78		MIYAZATO, Mika	+7			74	77			151
	CUT		T69	T76		LEE-BENTHAM, Rebecca	+8			80	72			152
	CUT		T126	T139		SONG, Bo Bae	+8			79	73			152
	CUT		T126	T139		COE, Irene	+8			77	75			152
	CUT		T126	T139		HURST, Pat	+8			76	76			152
	CUT		52	59		SEO, Hee Kyung	+8			76	76			152
	CUT		61	67		DIAZ, Laura	+9			78	75			153
	CUT		T91	T98		KIRK, Katherine	+9			78	75			153
	CUT		121	130		HURST, Vicky	+9			75	78			153
	CUT		T126	T139		ARIMURA, Chie	+10			78	76			154
	CUT					*PARK, Annie	+10			76	78			154
	CUT		37	44		LEWIS, Amelia	+11			78	77			155
	CUT					*RAMSEY, Ashlan	+11			77	78			155
	CUT		T126	T139		CONCOLINO, Jacqui	+12			79	77			156
	CUT		31	37		LANG, Brittany	+12			76	80			156
	CUT					*KORDA, Nelly	+13			81	76			157
	CUT		T126	T139		GUSTAFSON, Sophie	+13			76	81			157
	CUT		T126	T139		YI, Eunjung	+14			78	80			158
	CUT		T97	T103		RECARI, Beatriz	+15			81	78			159
	CUT		T126	T139		ALCOTT, Amy	+18			81	81			162
	CUT		T117	T124		LACROSSE, Cindy	+19			80	83			163