Nichols: Here’s why I changed my mind about Lexi Thompson competing on the PGA Tour

My initial thought last week on Lexi Thompson playing against the men: This is a bad idea.

Quickly followed by, why now?

Given that Thompson is in the midst of a four-year winning slump on the LPGA and only recently began to find some form, why in the world would she step into a potential cauldron of criticism by taking up a spot in a PGA Tour event? Furthermore, if she struggles at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas, why risk tearing apart the confidence she’s built up since the Solheim Cup?

One week later, however, after several conversations with folks far wiser and more experienced, I’ve come to view Thompson’s decision in a different light.

I’ve since concluded that the reward for Thompson and golf is greater than the risk.

For starters, this is nothing like Annika Sorenstam’s appearance at The Colonial 20 years ago. At that time, Sorenstam was the best player in the women’s game. She wanted to test herself and push herself beyond anything she’d ever experienced. And while that was her personal goal, Sorenstam carried the weight of the tour and women’s golf on her shoulders. The sports world literally stopped to see how she fared.

There was great risk in Sorenstam’s decision to play, and even though she didn’t make the cut, it paid off handsomely. The Swede left Texas an even bigger force in women’s sport.

Thompson is far from a dominant figure on the LPGA, but she is the most well-known and most popular U.S. player, as much for her triumphs as her crushing defeats. If Thompson doesn’t play up to her standards at the Shriners, the LPGA won’t take a hit.

The 28-year-old isn’t expected to become the first player since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to make a cut on the PGA Tour. If she does, however, it will be her most well-known accomplishment – far more than winning a major.

Thompson is often praised for her resiliency. No modern player has experienced more heartbreaking losses. The four-stroke penalty fiasco at the ANA Inspiration in 2017 and the 2021 back-nine collapse at the U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic were the most painful to witness.

The untimely shank on the 18th on Friday at the Solheim Cup – coupled with the media debacle that followed – harkened back to those fragile times.

But there’s a resolve inside Thompson that’s undeniable, even if she’s reluctant to let the world in on her pain.

Not long before the U.S. team left for Spain, captain Stacy Lewis told Thompson that she wouldn’t be playing foursomes in the Solheim Cup.

“I think she could have taken that a number of ways,” said assistant captain Angela Stanford, “and instead she was a great teammate. … She put her head down and worked.”

Thompson wasn’t gifted that opening shot on Friday foursomes. She had to prove herself on site that week to Lewis, and the captain responded to what she saw.

Thompson’s 3-1-0 record was a personal victory and a sign of good play to come.

Since the Solheim, she’s posted a pair of top-10 finishes that include four rounds in the 60s. While she’s still not inside the top 60 to qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she has moved to within striking distance at No. 82.

While there are many women in the world playing better golf this season, it’s hard to believe that any woman other than Thompson should tee it up against the men. Few women have the physical aspects of Thompson – the spin, the strength, the length. Even fewer, however, would benefit at all from competing on the PGA Tour at this stage in their careers. The risk simply isn’t worth it.

Even though she hasn’t won a major championship in nearly 10 years, Thompson is battled-tested when it comes to disappointment. Most players on the LPGA haven’t come close to experiencing the amount of scrutiny Thompson has faced.

She’s also been in the spotlight since the age of 12 and on the LPGA more than a decade. If it’s a tough week in Vegas, the outcome won’t define her.

Perhaps the biggest element that shifted my thinking should’ve been the most obvious: the kids.

Lexi Thompson of Team United States signs autographs for fans during a practice round ahead of the start of The Solheim Cup at Inverness Club on September 02, 2021, in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Thompson is, without question, one of the best on tour when it comes to fan interaction. It could be the absolute worst day of her career – as it seemed to be in Rancho Mirage six years ago – and she’d still stand there with tear-stained cheeks and sign autographs with a smile on her face.

For a kid, watching a woman compete in a man’s world hits differently. Maybe a little girl sticks with golf even when she’s the only girl because of Thompson. Maybe a little boy invites a girl to play in his group because he watched a woman play on the PGA Tour.

Maybe Thompson’s presence brings in more fans and raises more money for Shriners patients all over the country.

No matter what happens on Thursday in Vegas, Thompson will give kids of all ages and abilities a day to remember.

And that’s a win.