Teenager Lexi Thompson Wins Kraft Nabisco

Matt Jones Edges Matt Kuchar for Shell Houston Title

Chris Duthie

Lexi Thompson’s dominating, no-mistakes performance at the Kraft Nabisco Championship has netted the 19-year-old her first-ever major golf championship, a three-stroke victory over seasoned veteran Michelle Wie.

“This is what I’ve worked so hard for,” Thompson said after closing with a bogey-free, four-under 68 that included four birdies on the first five holes. “This was one of my goals coming into the year—to win a major. I’ve always seen myself winning a Kraft Nabisco. It’s such a huge honor with all the history behind the tournament.”

Thompson, a former amateur standout from Florida who played in the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 12, is the second-youngest major winner in LPGA Tour history at 19 years, 1 month, 27 days. Morgan Pressel set the record in her 2007 Kraft Nabisco victory at 18 years, 10 months, 9 days.

“Lexi played amazing today; she played probably the best I’ve ever seen her play,” said Wei, 24, who hit only four drivers the entire day and whose tee ball was often as much as 60 yards behind the six-foot-tall Thompson. “I stuck with my game plan and I think it was the right play. Who knows? In hindsight you would do something here or do something there, make a putt there. That’s the way golf is.”

This is Thompson’s fourth Tour victory. As a 16-year-old amateur she won the 2011 Navistar LPGA in Alabama—which at the time made her the youngest winner in Tour history before the mark was broken by Lydia Ko in the 2012 Canadian Women’s Open. Last year during her rookie season, Thompson added the LPGA Malaysia and Lorena Ochoa Invitational to her impressive golf resume.

ANOTHER SURPRISE WIN FOR AUSTRALIA

On the PGA Tour, Matt Kuchar blew a four-stroke lead going into the final round of the rain-soaked Shell Houston Open and lost in a dramatic playoff to Australian Matt Jones, who earned $1.152 million and his first-ever invitation to this week’s Masters.

Jones shot 66 on Sunday, including a 46-foot birdie putt on the final hole that sent the event into sudden death. On the first playoff hole, also on the GC of Houston’s treacherous 18th, Jones won in spectacular fashion with a 42-yard birdie chip-in that slammed the door on Kuchar, who bogeyed the final hole in regulation and shot a disappointing even-par 72.

“I walked up there and told my caddy I was going to chip it in,” said Jones, who follows 2013-14 season wins by fellow Aussies Steven Bowditch (Valero Texas Open), John Senden (Valspar Championship), Jason Day (Match Play Championship) and Adam Scott (PGA Grand Slam). “You don’t know if it’s going to lip out, low or high, but when I saw it disappear it’s probably the happiest I’ve been on the golf course.”

NEXT UP

PGA Tour: Masters Tournament; April 10-13; Augusta National GC; Augusta, GA

LPGA Tour: LPGA LOTTE Championship; April 16-19; Ko Olina GC; Oahu, HI

Champions Tour: Greater Gwinnett Championship; April 18-20; TPC Sugarloaf; Duluth GA

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Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.