In 2009, Alexis Thompson is one of those amateurs. The full slate of amateur invites should be announced soon, but Thompson's selection was made public this week. You might best remember Thompson for qualifying to play in the 2007 U.S. Women's Open at the age of 12 (beating the record previously established by Morgan Pressel).
Thompson hasn't slowed down since. She also played her way into the 2008 U.S. Women's Open; won the 2008 U.S. Girls Junior Championship; and has posted victories in major amateur tournaments such as the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur and the Doherty Women's Championship.
Thompson will be age 14 by the time the Kraft Nabisco comes around in early April.
And what about the Kraft Nabisco's record for making great selections with its amateur exemptions? Since 2000, only twice has the highest-finishing amateur in the Kraft Nabisco Championship fallen outside the Top 15, and in five of those nine years the highest-finishing amateur was inside the Top 10.
Here are the top-finishing amateurs at the Kraft Nabisco Championship going back to 2000:
- 2008 - Amanda Blumenherst, 30th
- 2007 - Stacy Lewis, 5th
- 2006 - Angela Park, 15th
- 2005 - Michelle Wie, 14th
- 2004 - Michelle Wie, 4th
- 2003 - Michelle Wie, 9th
- 2002 - Lorena Ochoa, 8th
- 2001 - Lorena Ochoa, 21st
- 2000 - Aree Song, 10th
Comments