Lexi Thompson to Play Shriners Children's Open, Will Become Seventh Woman to Play on PGA TOUR

Lexi Thompson will be joining a legendary group next week, when the major champion makes her debut on the PGA TOUR at the 2023 Shriners Children's Open.

When she tees off at TPC Summerlin on Oct, 12, the LPGA star will join Babe Zaharias, Shirley Spork, Annika Sorenstam, PGA of America Past President Suzy Whaley, Michelle Wie West and Brittany Lincicome as the only women to have played a PGA TOUR event.

"I'm hopeful that my ability to play with the men next week at the Shriners Children's Open sends a great message to the young women that you can chase your dream regardless of how hard it is," Thompson said in a statement earlier today. "I'm grateful to Shriners Children's for this opportunity to spend the week alongside these inspirational kids."

Zaharias was the first woman to play on the PGA TOUR at the 1939 Los Angeles Open. She also played the Tucson Open and the Phoenix Open that year and teed it up again at the 1946 Los Angeles Open.

Spork followed at the 1952 Northern California-Reno Open, and then it was over 50 years until Sorenstam and Whaley made their debuts in 2003. Sorenstam played that year's Colonial in Texas, while Whaley, the only female PGA of America Golf Professional to have played on TOUR, teed it up in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open after winning the Connecticut PGA Section Championship. Wie West followed with an appearance in the 2004 Sony Open, and Lincicome made her debut on TOUR at the 2018 Barbasol Championship.

Thompson, who is coming off a 3-1-0 Solheim Cup appearance in Spain, has won 11 times on the LPGA TOUR, including the 2014 Chevron Championship at 19 — making her the second youngest LPGA golfer to win a major.