Shriners Children’s Open to break gender barrier

Shriners Children’s Open officials have figured out a unique way to get extra attention on next week’s tournament. They are extending a sponsor invitation to LPGA star Lexi Thompson.

Thompson will become just the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event when she tees it up at TPC Summerlin Oct. 12-15.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lexi to the 2023 tournament,” Patrick Lindsey, executive director of the tournament, said of the hugely popular Thompson. “We are eager to have Lexi on the course and continue to break through barriers, just as our more than 1.5 million patients do every day.”

Thompson is looking forward to the challenge.

“Shriners Children’s support of children with specialty pediatric medical challenges for over 100 years is inspiring, and as we all know, these conditions do not discriminate,” Thompson said in a statement. “I’m hopeful that my ability to play with the men next week at the Shriners Children’s Open sends a great message to the young women that you can chase your dream regardless of how hard it is.”

Thompson joins a list of women breaking the PGA Tour barrier that began in 1935 when Babe Didrikson Zaharias played in the Cascade Open and was last accomplished by Brittany Lincicome at the 2018 Barbasol Championship. The list famously includes Annika Sorenstam, who played at the Colonial in 2003, and Michelle Wie, who played in the 2004 Sony Open as a 14-year-old.

LPGA players have been at a disadvantage in PGA Tour events because their driving distances are well behind their male counterparts. Thompson is one of the longer hitters on the LPGA Tour, ranking 13th with an average of 270 yards, but that still puts her about 30 yards behind the typical PGA Tour player. Some 94 players this season are averaging more than 300 yards.

Thompson, 28, is an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour including one major championship, but 2023 has been a huge struggle. She has missed eight of 11 cuts, although her game has shown signs of life recently with a strong 3-1 performance at the Solheim Cup and her first top-10 finish of the year last week at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Thompson is playing this week at the Ascendant LPGA outside of Dallas.

“I cannot wait to come to the city of Las Vegas, and I’m grateful to Shriners Children’s for this opportunity to spend the week alongside these inspirational kids,” Thompson said.

The 132-player field for the Shriners Children’s Open will be set Friday night. Players have until 5 p.m. that day to officially enter the tournament. Defending champion Tom Kim is among those already committed to play.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.