Five years ago, they had given the then 15-year-old Michelle Wie a wildcard into their event and received nothing but hassle from other competitors who felt that everyone should be made to follow the same entry criteria. After that experience, the officials had stayed with the “strictly no invitations” policy employed by the R&A at the Open.
There were plenty of wise heads who agreed with the LGU. Pia Nilsson, the well-known psychologist-cum-coach was among them. “I have never,” she said, “known any young player benefit from being granted favours. It’s much better that they get there under their own steam.”
Now, it is the LPGA’s turn to work out what they should do when Thompson, who is currently getting by on invitations, asks to join the tour before she reaches the minimum permitted age of 18. Already, precedents have been set in that Morgan Pressel and Aree Song were both allowed in ahead of time, though their case was slightly different in that they were 17.
Whan will almost certainly be looking at tennis and how its officials coped in the era of such as Tracey Austin, Andrea Jaeger, and Jennifer Capriati.
