Alexis Thompson moved into position to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, shooting a 5-under 67 in breezy conditions Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Song-Hee Kim in the Avnet LPGA Classic.
Thompson will be 16 years, 2 months, 21 days on Sunday. Marlene Hagge was 18 years, 14 days when she won the 1952 Sarasota Open, which was an 18-hole event. Pleasanton native Paula Creamer is the youngest winner of a multi-round event, taking the 2005 Sybase Classic at 18 years, 9 months, 17 days.
"I'm going into (Sunday) just going all-in on every golf shot," Thompson said. "Play consistent like I have the last few days and hopefully it'll all go well."
Kim had a 70 to match Thompson at 7-under 209 on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Magnolia Grove complex in Mobile, Ala.
Amy Yang (72) was a stroke back, and Maria Hjorth (67), Suzann Pettersen (71) and Karen Stupples (72) were 5 under.
Juli Inkster (70) and Christina Kim (72) were 3 under, and Creamer (75) was 2 over.
Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., played in the U.S. Women's Open at 12 and turned professional last year. She said she didn't notice her top spot on the leader board until she was heading up to the 18th green.
"I hadn't been looking at the leader board, since I'm not trying to worry about that," she said.
