Thompson banned from Open; age debate ensues
Alexis Thompson tied for second place at the Evian Masters tournament and has dominated the lead up to this week’s British Women’s Open. Will she be teeing off at the Royal Birkdale links Thursday? No, Thompson has been banned from participating in the championship because she is only 15-years-old. The ban has sparked a debate amongst the golfing community as to how old players should be when they enter the professional golf world.
Thompson is young enough to be the daughter of Catriona Matthew, the defending champion of the Women’s British Open. Last year Matthew, 40, won the event only months after giving birth to her second child Sophie, earning herself the nickname ‘Supermom’. Now the hype has turned to Thompson, this year’s ‘Superkid’ who has been refused the right to play at the championship tournament because of her age.
“I think probably she'd be better off at school. She's certainly proved she's a good enough player, but 15 is maybe just a little too young to come out on Tour. She's still really only a child,” said Matthew of her younger competitor.
Thompson is at the heart of the age debate. There is no doubt the American teen is good enough to compete in the tournament: her finish at the Evian Masters is proof enough of that, not to mention she placed tenth at the U.S. Open. Her management company had applied for an invitation to the prestigious British Open but it was refused by the Ladies Golf Union.
Thompson is paying the ultimate price for Michelle Wie’s success. She was denied entry into the competition because Wie had already attended the event on special invitation in 2005 and came in third place.
"We have tightened up our regulations since then because of other player's criticisms over that exemption,” said LGU chief executive Shona Malcolm. Are the big girls scared of being beaten by someone half their age? Certainly looks that way.
The face of golf in both men’s and women’s divisions has taken on that of much younger players who bring drive and determination to not only meet but defeat their heroes on the course. The tightening up of regulations was an affect of Wie’s unpopularity amongst jealous senior players. Wie’s exemption into the 2005 tournament was based on the fact that at the time she was an amateur, whereas Thompson is a professional and thus eligible for prize money.
Wie responded to the Thompson issue Tuesday when she spoke out about the pressure and sacrifices young golfers have to deal with. "It's hard to judge. It is a hard life out here. One of the best decisions I made was going to Stanford, continuing my education. It helped balance my life, but you can't put a standard on those sorts of things."
Thompson isn’t thinking about university just yet, and has been focusing on golf for her entire life. At the age of 12, Thompson qualified for the US Women’s Open and considered it “cool” that her peers were seeking her autograph. At 15, she has turned professional and already earned more than £200,000 in career winnings in the past two months.
Some believe the sport has a responsibility to protect young players from the pressures of high profile events and careers. Though they are playing at levels way beyond their age group, these kids are emotionally, hormonally, and mentally vulnerable, and still developing as a people and golfers.
Wie enjoyed the spotlight but decided to make her education a priority when she stepped down from the spotlight to attend university. Regardless of how this decision affects her career – some say it will give her time to mature, others think it has impeded her momentum – she may fare better than teenage tennis star Jennifer Capriati, who fell from the spotlight to a life of drugs and shoplifting.
Women’s golf is struggling to answer the question how young is too young, a question that has professionals divided with Thompson somewhere in the middle.
"She's one of the better golfers in the world right now. I really don't know why she's not here. If she wants to play, she should be allowed to play. If you're good enough, you're good enough,” said Davies when asked about her opinion. “The fact that you're so young is probably a little bit of a bonus because it creates so much excitement for the tour. Let her come and play. What a waste not to have her.”
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