FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Ninth-grader Alexis Thompson is trying to avoid getting too far ahead of herself in the Navistar LPGA Classic at Prattville, Alabama.
``I'm an amateur, and I'm just going to look at it and just be like, 'Whatever,''' said Thompson, tied for the second-round lead. ``Because I just try to come into these and just play well. It's just good competition for me. Best in the world.''
Attempting to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, the 14-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida shot a 3-under 69 on Friday for a share of the lead with top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and three others, including Laura Davies.
``I mean, I can say I'm really mature for 14,'' said Thompson, the sister of PGA Tour player Nicholas Thompson. ``I would definitely say that. But, I mean, I don't know. I just play golf every day. I mean, I'm young. That's the only difference. I don't know, I'm pretty good for a young player. ... I'm 14 and I just love to play golf.''
Marlene Hagge won the 1952 Sarasota Open 14 days after her 18th birthday and took the Bakersfield Open two months later, but both were 18-hole events. Paula Creamer won the 2005 Sybase Classic at 18 years, 9 months to become the youngest winner of a full tournament.
Thompson won the 2008 U.S. Girls' Junior and tied for 34th in July in the U.S. Women's Open. She shot a 65 on Thursday.
``I was a little nervous in the beginning,'' Thompson said. ``I don't know why, but I was just playing it as a normal tournament. I mean, maybe just because I was at the top. I don't know. But I'm just going to go out there on the weekend and just be relaxed and just play my game.''
Ochoa (68), Laura Davies (65), Yani Tseng (63) and Giulia Sergas (65) matched Thompson at 10-under 134 on The Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill complex.
``It's lovely to see a young girl like that playing so well,'' said Davies, a 20-time LPGA Tour winner. ``It's good for all of us if she keeps that up.''
Ochoa, the defending champion who finished second last week behind Sophie Gustafson, is winless in 11 starts since the Corona Championship in April. She has two victories in 17 events this season after winning 21 times in the previous three years.
``I'm really happy with my round today,'' Ochoa said. ``It was a little bit of roller coaster. You know, few birdies and also a few bogeys. But I think what's important at the end of the day is I'm in a good position for the weekend. I'm excited to be up there. ... I'm going be ready to play good on the weekend.''
Tseng matched the tournament record with her 63. She birdied her final three holes and six of her final eight.
``I really didn't think of the record,'' Tseng said. ``I just play one shot at a time. ... I just played really good today and made a lot of putts.''
Gustafson was 9 under after a 65, and Michelle Wie (70) and first-round leader Janice Moodie (72) topped a group at 8 under.
``I hit solid shots out there, but I just didn't get them as close to the holes as I wanted them to,'' Wie said. ``I left a lot of putts out. I felt like I should have made a lot more putts today. But, you know, putting in the afternoon is always more difficult than putting in the mornings because you have a lot more bumps in the way and stuff.
``But, you know, I'm pretty happy with the way I played. But like I said, there's a lot more work to be done in the next couple days.''
Thompson bogeyed the 369-yard fourth hole, hitting a lob wedge from 36 yards to 15 feet and two-putting, but rebounded with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth.
``That fourth hole, that was a pretty stupid mistake,'' Thompson said. ``But I bounced back and I made birdie next hole. So that was good. That definitely turned it around.''
She also birdied the par-5 eighth - two-putting after hitting a hybrid from 202 yards to 8 feet - and added birdies on the par-4 ninth and par-5 17th.
``I just want to shoot under par the next two days,'' Thompson said. ``Maybe in the 60s would be nice, both days. I think I would be up there.''
Overnight leader Janice Moodie, after a flawless opening round of 64, matched the par of 72 but so high is the standard of play in these events that the Scot dropped down to joint seventh on 136 alongside Michelle Wie and three others.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
134 Giulia Sergas (Ita) 69 65, Yani Tseng (Tai) 71 63, Alexis Thompson 65 69, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 66 68, Laura Davies (Eng) 69 65
135 Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 70 65
136 Michelle Wie 66 70, In-Bee Park (Kor) 67 69, Brittany Lang 68 68, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 68 68, Janice Moodie (Sco) 64 72
137 Eunjung Yi (Kor) 67 70, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 69 68, Pat Hurst 67 70, Sandra Gal (Ger) 68 69
138 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 71 67, Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 67 71, Amy Yang 69 69, Alena Sharp (Can) 67 71, Allison Fouch 68 70
139 Stacy Prammanasudh 70 69, Beth Bader 70 69, Heather Bowie young 71 68, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 69 70, Brandi Jackson 70 69, Julieta Granada (Par) 69 70, Anna Rawson (Aus) 70 69, Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 67 72, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 69 70, Lisa Strom (Gb) 67 72, Nicole Castrale 68 71, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 68 71
140 Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 71 69, Chella Choi (Kor) 69 71, Paige Mackenzie 69 71, Haeji Kang (Kor) 70 70, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 73 67, Candie Kung (Tai) 70 70, Karine Icher (Fra) 66 74
141 Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 69 72, Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 71 70, Morgan Pressel 69 72, Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 69 72, Meena Lee (Kor) 70 71, Jamie Hullett 69 72, Reilley Rankin 73 68, Na Ri Kim (Kor) 72 69, Christina Kim 68 73, Vicky Hurst 72 69, Meaghan Francella 67 74, Allison Hanna-Williams 68 73, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 69 72
142 Taylor Leon 71 71, Charlotte Mayorkas 73 69, Diana D'Alessio 71 71, Pornanong Phatlum (Tha) 67 75, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 72 70, Natalie Gulbis 71 71, Jimin Jeong 74 68, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 73 69, Stacy Lewis 73 69, Katherine Hull (Aus) 67 75
143 Mindy Kim 75 68, Jill McGill 71 72, Anna Grzebien 71 72, Sarah-Jane Smith (Aus) 72 71, Kris Tamulis 71 72
144 Irene Cho 71 73, Young Kim (Kor) 74 70, Cristie Kerr 71 73, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 69 75, Becky Morgan (Wal) 74 70, Nicole Jeray 72 72, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 73 71, Moira Dunn 72 72, Hwa seon Lee (Kor) 72 72, Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) 72 72, Sarah Lee 71 73, Kim Hall 71 73, Meredith Duncan 73 71, Teresa Lu (Tai) 71 73, Laura Diaz 70 74, Danielle Downey 76 68
MISSED THE CUT
145 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 71 74, Joo Mi Kim (Kor) 71 74, Christi Cano 70 75, Song-Hee Kim (Kor) 71 74, Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 73 72, Katie Futcher 73 72, Leta Lindley 72 73, Jeehae Lee (Kor) 72 73, Stephanie Louden 75 70, Sophia Sheridan (Mex) 70 75, Samantha Richdale 73 72, Amy Hung (Tai) 73 72, Meg Mallon 74 71
146 Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 74 72, Karen Stupples (Eng) 73 73, Se Ri Pak (Kor) 74 72, Erica Blasberg 70 76, M.J. Hur (Kor) 68 78, Wendy Ward 76 70, Louise Stahle (Swe) 75 71, Hee Young Park (Kor) 73 73
147 Jeanne Cho-Hunicke 77 70, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 72 75, Lorie Kane (Can) 73 74, Ashli Bunch 74 73, Jackie Gallagher-Smith 73 74, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 76 71, Jimin Kang (Kor) 75 72, Angela Jerman 76 71
148 Mollie Fankhauser 74 74, Il Mi Chung (Kor) 75 73, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 72 76, Jessica Shepley (Can) 73 75, Kris Tschetter 73 75
149 Louise Friberg (Swe) 73 76, Song yi Choi (Kor) 74 75, Angela Buzminski 75 74
150 Kim Welch 72 78, Nontaya Srisawang (Tha) 77 73, Carolina Llano 76 74, Kim Williams 77 73, Jin young Pak (Kor) 75 75, Lee Ann Walker-Cooper 73 77, Jennifer Johnson 73 77
151 Michelle Ellis 75 76, Marisa Baena 75 76, Johanna Mundy (Eng) 76 75, Leah Wigger 74 77
152 Laurie Brower 74 78, Nicole Hage 81 71
153 Jordan Hardy 72 81, Kyeong Bae (Kor) 77 76
154 Jean Bartholomew 79 75
155 Audra Burks 77 78, Dorothy Delasin 83 72
160 A J Eathorne (Can) 85 75
Withdrew: Angela Park 69, Jee Young Lee 75, Marcy Hart 77
Disqualified: Becky Iverson 74