Lexi Thompson Resilient After Early Round Stumble At KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Even the best golfers on the planet are not immune to poor shots at poor times. The mental load, too, is especially heavy during major championship weeks.

That’s why Lexi Thompson’s third-round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was impressive. It wasn’t the round of the day, score-wise, but it can certainly be considered the tidiest effort between-the-ears Saturday from Fields Ranch East.

Thompson finished with a 3-over 75.

LEADERBOARD: See Round 3 scores from PGA Frisco

But what was more impressive is that she was 3 over after just one hole – and 4 over through two – and she hung on tight the rest of the way.

“Definitely proud of how I just stayed strong,” Thompson said. “It was kind of a nightmare of a start, but I knew coming into the day it was going to play very difficult

“Overall, a lot of positives to take from the day with my start being 4-over through two. Happy I stayed strong and put a good round together.”

Thompson found the fairway on the par-5 1st before cold-topping a fairway wood just 117 yards for her second. And then she hit her third, well, hosel-adjacent, for a penalty. She finally got on the green with her sixth shot and then two-putted from 20 feet to put an eight on the card.

A start that was less-than-ideal.

Thompson added another bogey on No. 2 after hitting it into a greenside bunker. She did the same thing on No. 8 en route to another bogey. That could have spelled the end of the American’s chances at the KPMG Women’s PGA, but the veteran kept clawing her way back.

“I was on the struggle bus for the first two holes. I was like, ‘Alright, how about we just par and simmer down here.’ But it's tough. If you just miss a fairway out there you have to pitch out kind of to save par, but most likely could be a bogey,” Thompson said. “With that start I was like, ‘Oh, great, let's just make some pars and a few birdies here and there if I get lucky.’”

Thompson did finally make a birdie on No. 9 after getting on in two and two-putting from 17 feet. She also drove the green on the short par-4 15th to add another circle on her scorecard.

She closed with three straight pars, including rolling in a slippery eight-footer on her final hole of the day.

Thompson announced at the end of last year she would be playing a very limited schedule moving forward. She also started 2025 off with a bang, getting engaged in the picturesque setting of Whistler, British Columbia.

“It just has put my mind a lot more at ease just playing when I want, a more limited schedule, and really looking forward to the events I do play in,” Thompson said. “I’m still training and practicing really hard for when I do tee it up, but just having the life back at home with my loved ones is more important.”

Thompson sits tied for third through 54 holes at the KPMG Women’s PGA and is looking for her best finish on the LPGA Tour since a tie for second at last year’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.