| | Thompson Makes Cut at Kraft
April 3, 2009
Reigning U.S. Girls' Junior champion Alexis Thompson of Coral
Springs, Fla., carded a second consecutive even-par round of
72 on Friday and made the cut at the Kraft Nabisco
Championship in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The 14-year-old Thompson, who posted the lowest 36-hole total
among the five amateurs in the field, is competing in her
third women's professional major championship. She missed the
cut in her two U.S. Women's Open appearances in 2007 and '08.
Two years ago at the age of 12 years, 4 months, she became
the youngest qualifier in Women's Open history.
Last July, Thompson defeated Karen Chung, 5 and 4, at
Hartford Golf Club to become
the second-youngest Girls' Junior champion
. She also reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 U.S. Women's
Amateur.
During an interview with the USGA last month in
Florida
Thompson, who won the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur and Ione
D. Jones/Doherty Championship in January and received the
Kraft invite shortly thereafter, stated that her top goal for
the Kraft was to make the cut. She also wanted to "go low."
Thompson registered two birdies and two bogeys on the
6,673-yard Mission Hills Country Club Dinah Shore Course.
Ironically, her bogeys came immediately after her birdies. On
Thursday, Thompson had one birdie and one bogey. Through 36
holes, Thompson has hit 18 of 28 fairways and totaled 61
putts. Her driving distance has been measured at 255.5 yards.
The low 70 players and ties made the cut.
Three of the five amateurs in the field will play this
weekend. Besides Thompson, reigning U.S. Women's Amateur
Public Links champion and 2008 USA Curtis Cupper Tiffany Joh
of San Diego and 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur runner-up Azahara
Munoz of Spain finished their rounds at 2-over 146 (71-75)
and 1-over 145 (71-74), respectively.
Candace Schepperle (72-86-158) of Birmingham, Ala., and
Jennifer Johnson (77-76-153) of La Quinta, Calif., missed the
cut.
Storycompiled by USGA Digital Media staff writer David
Shefter.
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