LPGA Superstar Thompson Shows Different Kind of Driving Skill during IMS Visit
July 18, 2018 | By Ethan Schwartz, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
LPGA star Lexi Thompson continued to show her skill at a different kind of driving when she returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Thompson won the inaugural Indy Women in Tech Championship last September, the first LPGA event at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course since 1968. She unveiled the ticket for the 2018 event, Aug. 16-19 at Brickyard Crossing, on the front straightaway of the IMS oval Monday, July 16 along with Andretti Autosport Verizon IndyCar Series driver Zach Veach. The ticket features an image of Thompson and the IMS Pagoda.
Then Thompson set up shop on a makeshift tee on the Yard of Bricks, using her powerful swing to drive balls straight and true down the track to the pit entrance. She also offered tips to Veach when he attempted the same feat.
“I think your job is way harder than mine.” Veach said jokingly to Thompson after his first shot hooked and clattered into the empty Tower Terrace stands.
Nine-time LPGA tournament winner Thompson replied with a smile, “What’s funny is I would say the same about your job!”
Thompson won last year’s tournament by four shots over Lydia Ko, one of her two LPGA victories last season. She is eager to defend her title this year.
“The course is great, just the way the tournament was run was great,” Thompson said. “It was definitely one of the best tournaments in our schedule.”
The Indy Women in Tech Championship makes an annual commitment to support local initiatives such as expanding robotics programs in schools, exposing high school girls to the tech industry and showcasing Indy as a tech hub.
Voted as a Top 100 American Public Course by Golf Digest and Golfweek, Brickyard Crossing is the only golf course in the world built on an active racetrack. Fourteen holes of the course are beside the back straight of the track, with four holes inside the oval, requiring players to drive through a tunnel under the track.
The Pete Dye-designed course presents a challenge for amateur and professional players alike. Thompson noted how the course challenged her to adapt her playing style from hole to hole.
“A few holes are pretty tricky; you just have to place it in the fairway,” Thompson said. “There’s a few par-5s that, if you’re a bomb driver, you can go for the green and make birdie or eagle.”
Her favorite part of winning the IWiT Championship last year was having the opportunity to take part in Speedway victory traditions, drinking the famous milk and taking a flying lap of the iconic oval in a Corvette.
A self-described speed enthusiast, she was itching Monday to get back on the track.
“Just being able to floor it, it’s an adrenaline rush – I love driving fast,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s last LPGA victory came at the Brickyard, and she is fifth in the world rankings this year in a season she described as “a little up and down.”
“(Golf) is all about patience,” Thompson said. “I have eight more events this year, so hopefully I’ll finish well.”
The IWiT Championship could be a springboard for Thompson, from Coral Springs, Florida. She’s heading into the IWiT Championship with confidence, considering Brickyard Crossing friendly territory. Coming back to a course where’s she’s previously won is “definitely a big confidence boost.”
Thompson also will be in the spotlight at Brickyard Crossing as a popular American player and the defending tournament champion. But she’s used to the attention even though she’s only 23. She became the youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, at age 12 as an amateur. By age 15, she had turned professional, with sponsorships from Cobra-PUMA Golf and Red Bull.
Having reached lofty heights at such a young age, she recalls facing a great deal of pressure from all sides.
“The expectations of everyone, people asking if I had turned pro too early, I just had to block them out,” Thompson said.
She quickly proved her worthiness. At age 16, in her second year on the LPGA Tour, she achieved her first win, smashing the record for youngest-ever winner of an LPGA tournament, which had been set by 18-year-old Marlene Hagge in 1952.
She also described feeling isolated, being younger than many of her peers. She recalls how difficult it was “not really knowing anyone out on tour.” But she was never entirely alone.
“I had my dad, so that was good,” Thompson said. “He was my caddy.”
Similarities between racing and golf aren’t obvious, but the two sports sometimes share the misconception that the players aren’t physically fit. Thompson places much importance on her intense fitness routine to stay in peak condition as one of the most fit players on the LPGA Tour.
“I’ve gotten into over the last six years,” Thompson said. “It’s made a dramatic change to my golf game and just the way I can get through my rounds. I love being able to not worry about tiring out in a round.”
Dedicated to her fitness, she even woke up at 4 a.m. to work out before catching her flight to Indianapolis.
“It’s an outlet for me; I love it,” she said.