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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2007

Lexi Thompson

SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA

RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a record-setting contender up here, Alexis Thompson is the youngest competitor to ever qualify, go through the qualifying round for the United States Women's Open, breaking the record set by Morgan Pressel several years ago at this very golf course.
Welcome to the United States Women's Open Championship, congratulations for qualifying.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Thank you.
RHONDA GLENN: What experiences have you enjoyed the most since you've been here?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Just meeting LPGA golfers, not really meeting, just seeing, because I haven't gone to a LPGA golf tournament before. But seeing LPGA golfers, signing a lot of autographs, and it's just been a great experience so far.
RHONDA GLENN: What about signing autographs, what's fun about that?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: I like seeing kids my age coming up to me asking for my autograph. It's really cool. I like it.
RHONDA GLENN: You just met Annika Sorenstam. You were introduced and shook hands and some photographs were made of the two of you. How long have you known about Annika Sorenstam and what have you thought about her?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Well, I don't really follow women's golf. I do a little bit. But I mostly follow men's, because my brother is on the Nationwide, going to the PGA TOUR next year. But I watch women's golf, though, on TV. So probably about a couple of years I've been watching it.
RHONDA GLENN: What have you thought of Annika before this week?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: What have I thought about her?
RHONDA GLENN: Did you think about her at all?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yes, I think about all the wonderful golfers here. Just seeing them is really awesome. I haven't seen Annika yet, so that was really great.

Q. You said you haven't been to a LPGA tournament. Of course, there's no LPGA tournaments anymore in South Florida to go to other than the Trump tournament. Have you seen an LPGA tournament on TV? The reason I ask that is you said you mainly follow men's golf, obviously because of your brother. Have you watched the women on TV even?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yeah, I watch some of the golf tournaments. I wouldn't be able to name them, but I do watch them.
RHONDA GLENN: What do you think about them?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Great. Just watching them hit the ball really far. And just getting up-and-down, making so many putts shows me what I have to do in life when coming up.

Q. You're home schooled, right?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yes.

Q. What grade is that comparable to?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: I'm going into 7th.

Q. Was this your first time trying for the Women's Open or did you try last year?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Third year. This was my third year.

Q. Just curious what your expectations are once the tournament starts Thursday?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Let's see, I'll probably just -- I'm going out there just to have fun, just play my game. I'll probably just try to shoot maybe 75 or 74 or under. I think that's pretty good with all the woods I'll have in on the par-3s and par-4s. And hopefully I make the cut. If I don't, it's all right.

Q. You said you have not watched a lot of LPGA tournaments. What do you tend to watch at your age, what sort of TV shows or what do you like to watch on TV?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Let's see, I watch Whose Line is It Anyway on ABC Family, Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zach and Cody, anything on Disney Channel, pretty much. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That's a good show. Movies, any movies.

Q. Just a couple of background questions. How tall are you and how much do you weigh? I thought you'd be bigger?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Well, I'm five-six, but I don't really feel like giving out my weight. (Applause).

Q. You first tried to qualify at age ten. I'm curious about how that came about. Was that your idea? Who were you inspired by?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: I was probably inspired by Annika or Morgan Pressel, anybody on the LPGA Tour, probably. So, yeah, probably Annika Sorenstam or Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, anybody.

Q. Any reason you tried to qualify to The Open?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Well, yeah, I knew at age ten that Morgan Pressel made it. I wasn't really worried about breaking a record or anything. I just played my game. If I made it, I made it, if I didn't, there are years to come.

Q. The numbers you put out as a potential goal, what you think you might shoot or would like to shoot, 74, 73, I think you said. That would be very good. The reason I ask this is do you know what Morgan did when she played here?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: I think she shot 77, 77.

Q. That's exactly right.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: I heard that.

Q. How many holes here do you have to hit woods into?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Par-4s, there's three of them. I think, one is like 450 -- two of them are. One of them is about 406. One is I think 390. So four, I think, probably, around there.

Q. And par-3s, too?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yeah, I think there's probably three par-3s out there.
RHONDA GLENN: Three par-3s and three par-4s, then.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yes.

Q. What's it been like to have Nick out there side by side with you, and your dad, walking the course? What have the two days been like for you guys out there?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Well, it's great because my brother, he like -- he's been writing everything down, like the slant of the greens. So has my dad. He's giving me the clubs, writing down what I should hit. So it's really great.
RHONDA GLENN: Do you normally put that much study into a golf course or do you refer to notes that much?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Usually outside Florida I do, because I don't really know the greens. I usually do like all the putts around the holes and like write them down, like if they're slow, just get the speed of them.

Q. How old were you when you started the game and who got you into it?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: I was five when I started. Both of my brothers played golf so that was an inspiration to me. My dad taught me. Now I have a coach. So they both teach me now.

Q. Who will be caddieing for you this week?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: My dad. Adam Harrell at the Jim McLean Center. H-a-r-r-e-l-l.
RHONDA GLENN: H-a-r-r-e-l-l.

Q. What's your dad's name?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Scott Thompson.

Q. Thursday is going to be such a day of anticipation and yet your tee time is 2:20 in the afternoon. What are you going to do to kill the time and not let the nerves build up before that?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Probably sleep in, eat breakfast, maybe go to Pet Smart. I've gone there every day now. Probably go there. Probably just relax and then come out here and just hit balls, get loose and go out and play.
RHONDA GLENN: What's the attraction of Pet Smart.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Cats. I have two.
RHONDA GLENN: Did you buy toys? What did you buy for them, anything?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Nothing, I go to pet the cats and hold them.
RHONDA GLENN: What are your cats names.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Angel and Smelly.

Q. What's your favorite golfing memory to this point?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Well, up to this point -- well, I went to the Westfield in Ohio, that was a really great golf tournament. I think that's probably it. But this, this is the best experience so far.

Q. What's the most nervous you've ever been playing golf so far? Anything you remember?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: I'm not really nervous when I play golf. I just go out there and just try to do good. Everybody can't do good every day.

Q. Could you tell us what do you sort of see yourself doing over the next few years, and when would you like to turn professional, do you think?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: I would like to turn pro before or after college. I would like to have the college experience. So whenever I can turn pro it's going to be great.
RHONDA GLENN: What do you see yourself doing over the next few years?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Probably trying out for this probably every year and playing in --

Q. Would you like to get more invites to LPGA events?

ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yeah, I would. That would be great. Playing in the U.S. Girls, the Canon Cup, I think I'm playing in that this year, I think.

Q. Not that I was eavesdropping, but we weren't really doing anything, did you say something about having a friendly bet with Morgan's sister this week when you first came in and sat down, with Madison?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: No.
RHONDA GLENN: She was saying they're good friends.
ALEXIS THOMPSON: We go to golf tournaments together.

Q. About the same age?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: She's turning 16.
RHONDA GLENN: And you've never met Morgan, is that correct?
ALEXIS THOMPSON: Yeah, that's true.
RHONDA GLENN: Thanks so much for coming in to be with us. Really good luck with this week and we hope we see you back in here. Good luck.

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