LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson will be teeing it up against the men of the PGA Tour next weekend at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
It’s just the seventh time ever that an LGPA pro has done so and the second youngest LPGA golfer to win a major said it’s a “once-in-a-career opportunity.”
The 28-year-old with 11 LPGA wins to her name is expected to be competitive, but not everyone seems totally on board with the plan.
🚨😳 Peter Malnati calls Lexi Thompson a ''Gimmick'' and then quickly retracts statement. pic.twitter.com/prCiPQsfQn
— CHARGE GOLF BTS (@ChargeGolfBTS) October 5, 2023
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Malnati continued. “I don’t know that having Lexi play is a gimmick, but I don’t think the tournaments are going to have to go to those kind of lengths to drum up interest and get storylines that they can sell because I think these events are actually going to have a lot of meaning.
“Like I said, change is hard for everyone at every level, so I assume if you’re a host organization of a tournament … you just don’t know right now for sure what you have anymore because the fall is completely reimagined.”
Malnati’s comments generated some strong reactions on both sides of the issue.
Hadn't seen this but I have to say it's a great example of when we shouldn't rush to take offence and why aggregators should be seen for what they are. Malnati not only self-corrected quickly when one word was out of place, but discussed pros and cons intelligently. It was great. https://t.co/zYiUrWic8x
— Ben Coley (@BenColeyGolf) October 5, 2023
Nothing wrong with what he said. It is a gimmick & that doesn't mean it's bad. If you're looking for more interest & want to include LPGA pros to see how they fare & celebrity golfers to bring more eyeballs that's fine too as long as they're not taking spots from regular pros. https://t.co/17eqmbny6g
— LIV Golf Enthusiast (@LIVGolfEnth) October 5, 2023
https://twitter.com/JuddSpicer/status/1709922879071236508
https://twitter.com/MThi_59/status/1710367680400691213
