Lexi Thompson looked like she was on the cusp of a historic weekend in Las Vegas.
She was right on the edge of the cutline late in her second round at the Shriners Children’s Open, but a couple of late bogeys likely sunk her chances.
She was just the seventh women to compete in a PGA Tour event and was trying to be the first one to make a PGA cut since 1945, when Babe Didrikson Zaharias did it twice. Zaharias is the only woman to accomplish the feat.
Thompson finished at even par after she carded a 69 for her second round, following a 73 in Round 1. The cut ended up at 3-under. Cameron Champ and Lanto Griffin are co-leaders at 12-under after two rounds.
After starting on the 10th tee at TPC Summerlin and putting together a strong first nine, she carded back-to-back birdies on holes 1 and 2 to put her at 2-under with seven holes to play. At the time, that looked like it was going to put her above the projected cut.
But trouble came on the par-3 fifth, when she hit her drive into the penalty area well right of the green. That resulted in a bogey, and she followed with another bogey on the par-3 eighth.
While she came up short of of the cutline, Thompson was in high spirits after the round after being followed by a large gallery, including several kids, throughout Thursday and Friday in Vegas.
“It’s the best feeling, just seeing the amount of kids that were out there screaming, ‘Lexi, Lexi. Go, Lexi,'” Thompson said. “It makes me tear up sometimes because that’s what I play for, to inspire these little kids, boys and girls, to just get a club in their hand or just follow their dreams, whether it’s golf or anything in life.”
