WOBURN, England – Lexi Thompson can’t remember a round quite like Friday’s 5-under-par 67 at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
She hit one driver making her way around Woburn Golf Club.
“I’ve never played a round where I hit just one driver,” said Thompson, who is six shots off the lead. “We almost didn’t put the driver in the bag.”
Thompson has never played a tournament without a driver in her bag.
Woburn’s Marquess Course is playing short at 6,463 yards. Thompson said it isn’t so much the length of the course that has kept her from hitting drivers. It’s the shape of the course, with so many doglegs.
“My driver runs through the fairways,” Thompson said.
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Thompson’s hot club Friday was her new Bettinardi putter, a model more mallet than blade. While putting’s been a challenge of late, with Thompson on her fifth putter this season, she needed just 23 putts Friday, nine fewer than on Thursday. She didn’t need her putter at all at the 16th, where she made birdie holing out from a bunker at the 16th hole.
Thompson confirmed she’s back to putting with her eyes closed. She went back to the practice halfway through the U.S. Women’s Open three weeks ago.
In another change this week, Thompson is playing with her father, Scott, back on her bag as caddie. She parted ways with Benji Thompson, no relation, after last week’s UL International Crown. Lexi said it was time for a change.
“The caddie player relationship is special, crucial,” Lexi said. “It’s hard out here.”
Scott will also likely be on Lexi’s bag for the Olympics.
