Lexi Thompson has a big week ahead in Las Vegas. But first things first.
Thompson shot a second-round, 6-under 65 at the 2023 Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America and will head to the weekend tied for third.
She is at 6 under, four shots back of Hyo Joo Kim at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, but Thompson’s game is definitely trending.
She posted a 3-1-0 Solheim Cup performance and then had a tie for eighth, her best finish on the LPGA this season, at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. That was her first top-10 finish since November 2022. A month ago, she posted a tie for 19th at the Kroger Queen City Championship. But prior to that, she missed five straight cuts. She has eight MC’s in all in 2023.
“It’s definitely gotten a lot better,” she told Golf Channel after her round. “I’ve been working hard the whole year. It’s just been a matter of time and putting in the productive work that’s needed, and to see it pay off truly means a lot. I’m going to continue to work hard.”
Kim, now at 10 under after 36 holes, also held the solo lead after the first round. The five-time LPGA winner hasn’t found victory lane in 2023 but she does have eight top-10s, including two runner-up finishes.
“I was at the top of the leaderboard couple times this season but weekend plays haven’t been as good some times,” she said. “This week, I’m hoping to focus more on my play and play as well as I did on the first day and today and finish strong.”