Lexi Thompson to make PGA Tour debut at Shriners Children’s Open

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[PHOTO: Alex Slitz]

Lexi Thompson has accomplished many things during her LPGA Tour career, but she’ll do something for the first time when she tees it up on the PGA Tour next week.

The 11-time LPGA winner has accepted a sponsor invite to play in the Shriner’s Childrens Open, which begins on October 12 in Las Vegas. ESPN’s Michael Collins broke the news on Twitter.

“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 said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Shriners Children’s for this opportunity to spend the week alongside these inspirational kids.”

Thompson has previously played with the men six times in the unofficial PGA Tour event, the QBE Shootout. She also has two brothers, Curtis and Nicholas, who have both played on the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

The 28-year-old will be the seventh woman to play in a PGA Tour event dating back to Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who made the cut at the 1945 Los Angeles Open. Brittany Lincicome was the last to do it at the 2018 Barbasol Championship.

Mired in the worst season of her career, what should we expect from Lexi Thompson at the Solheim Cup?

“We are thrilled to welcome Lexi to the 2023 tournament,” said Patrick Lindsey, executive director of the Shriners Children’s Open. “We are eager to have Lexi on the course and continue to break through barriers.”

Thompson has struggled in 2023, but she’s coming off her best finish of the season, a T-8 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. And the week before that she went 3-1 for the USA at the Solheim Cup.

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com