Lexi Thompson Lurking Early at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican | LPGA

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Lexi Thompson demonstrated her fondness for Pelican Golf Club once again on Thursday during round one of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. The Florida native began her week in Belleair, Fla. with a remarkable bogey-free, 6-under 64, which included six birdies, four of them coming within a five-hole stretch on the front nine.

Thompson teed off on No. 10, scoring an early birdie on the par-3 12th hole and another on the par-5 14th hole to reach 2-under by the time she turned in 33. Her final nine saw a flurry of birdies on the first five holes, with Thompson birdieing holes 1, 3, 4, and 5 to finish at 6-under. The 11-time LPGA Tour winner concluded the round with four consecutive pars, ending with a score of 6-under and trailing the first-round leader, Brooke Henderson, by two strokes. Henderson was also Thompson’s playing partner at this year’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.

The 64 marks Thompson’s lowest 18-hole score of the 2023 LPGA Tour season. It’s also the first time she has recorded a round of 64 or better since the first round of the 2022 ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. This is the third time Thompson has shot a round of 64 or better at Pelican Golf Club, achieving the feat during the second round in 2021. Additionally, the 64 represents her lowest first-round score of the year, surpassing her previous benchmark of 65, which she shot on day one of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, by one shot.

Overall, Thompson expressed extreme satisfaction with her performance on Thursday at The ANNIKA, attributing her solid showings at both the Solheim Cup and the Shriners Children’s Open as the reasons for her renewed self-belief this late in the season. She spoke about the confidence boost she gained from playing aggressive golf at these events, particularly the pressure of representing her country at the Solheim Cup and the opportunity to test her ball striking abilities at the Shriners Children’s Open.

The 2017 Race to CME Globe champion currently finds herself in an unfamiliar spot, positioning herself on the outside looking in for next week’s CME Group Tour Championship. Ahead of this week’s event, Thompson was ranked 88th, needing to move up at least 28 spots to qualify for the season-ending tournament in Naples, Fla., at Tiburón Golf Club.

Following her Thursday 64, she is projected to move up 10 spots in the Race to the CME Globe to No. 78. Thompson acknowledges that it will take a similar performance over the next three rounds to secure a spot in the top 60. She is also eager to secure a victory at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, having finished runner-up twice in her previous three appearances at Pelican Golf Club.

With 54 more holes to play at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Thompson is focused on her process and aims to eliminate the self-doubt she has experienced in what has been a challenging season. She attributes her recent resurgence in LPGA Tour competition to her coach and emphasizes the importance of trust and belief in her game plan and decision-making process.

Thompson, who has only achieved two top-10 finishes this year, is optimistic about the favorable weather in the coming days. She intends to maintain her game plan, commit to her lines, and create as many birdie opportunities as possible.