Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler posted probably the greatest alternate shot format scores on Saturday on the Grant Thornton Invitational. Collectively, they posted a 4-under 68 to get them right into a fourth-place tie.
One of many day’s greatest moments got here on the par-3 sixteenth when Thompson hit an ideal shot.
The ball bounced as soon as and dunked into the outlet. Then the celebration ensued with Fowler, Joel Dahmen and Lilia Vu all giving her a excessive 5.
It was simply the shot of the day.
Her hole-in-one pushed them to 16-under within the match, the place they’d end on Day Two.
This was Thompson’s eleventh ace of her professional profession, however she thinks it’s considered one of her greatest thus far.
“I’ve solely had about 4 in competitors with crowds, with a very good quantity of crowds, so there was lots of people round that tee field. It was good to high-five everyone and listen to all of the cheers,” Thompson mentioned. “I can’t wait to look at the video of it later. Positively a very good feeling. Hitting a golf shot or making a putt and simply committing to it and seeing the shot at hand and simply pulling it off is all the time an excellent feeling.”
It wasn’t a layup shot, both.
“I had 158 to the outlet, a little bit breeze in. I imply, not a lot. It was fairly useless in direction of the top of the spherical,” Thompson mentioned. “Ended up taking my 7-iron, which is my 62 to 65 membership, and backed up two membership lengths from the tee marker and simply tried to hit like a 3/4 gap.”
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Picture by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Pictures
Fowler added extra context, ensuring folks understood that Thompson was useless on track.
“By no means left the flag,” Fowler mentioned.
What Thompson mentioned subsequent summed up the shot totally.
“I used to be simply hoping it was the fitting quantity, and it ended up being an ideal quantity,” she mentioned.
Fowler and Thompson began the day without work slowly with two bogeys on the first and third holes. They added a birdie on the par-4 ninth to make the flip with some momentum.
The duo stayed sizzling, making birdie on 11, 12 and 13. A last bogey on the par-5 14th didn’t deter them, as they bought the stroke again on the 15. Then got here her unimaginable shot on 16. It was what they wanted to shut out probably the most difficult format on a excessive observe.
“The outlet-in-one form of helped,” Fowler mentioned. “It may be probably the most gratifying but additionally probably the most aggravating, relying on the way it’s going. For those who play nicely in alternate shot, it’s the one you can also make up floor. It is robust to do a day like yesterday in a scramble; you need to make birdies, the place in the event you make a bunch of pars and throw on some birdies, you may cruise up the board.”
Day 3 will characteristic a modified four-ball format. Every golfer will tee off their ball, however after that, they’ll play one another’s. Fowler and Thompson sit 4 photographs again of Lydia Ko and Jason Day getting into Sunday.
It received’t be straightforward but when they’ve a robust last spherical, this dynamic duo may very well be the primary Grant Thornton Invitational winners.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You possibly can observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for extra golf protection. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough too.
