Thompson set to root for sister in U.S. Women's Open It's not very often that a pro golfer goes to two Tour events in the same week, but the Nationwide Tour's No. 2 money winner, Nicholas Thompson, will do just that this week. ![]() Nicholas Thompson (WireImage) Thompson's sister, Alexis, who is 12 years, 4 months and 1 day old, will become the youngest ever to compete in a U.S. Women's Open this week at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. Nicholas will be with her Monday and Tuesday to help with her yardages and other preparation. On Wednesday, Nicholas will travel on Wednesday to the Peek'n Peak Classic in Lake Findley, N.Y., where he will attempt to regain the top spot on the Nationwide Tour money list. With his tie for ninth at the Knoxville Open presented by Food City yesterday, Thompson is only $5,425 off the pace of Aussie Nick Flanagan, who is taking a third consecutive week off. Thompson, 24, is a graduate of Georgia Tech where he earned second- and third-team All-American honors, plus honorable mention twice. Upon graduation in 2005, the Coral Springs, Fla., native was a member of that year's winning U.S. team in the Walker Cup. He played his way onto the PGA TOUR in 2006 via the National Qualifying Tournament, but finished 180th on the money list. With his solid position on the Nationwide Tour money list, he is assured of a finish in THE 25 and a return to the PGA TOUR in 2008. In addition to Alexis, he has a younger brother, Curtis, who is 14 and a very accomplished player in his own right. Nationwide Tour media official Chris Reimer sat down with Thompson over the weekend in Knoxville to get a few thoughts on his younger sister's development as a golfer. "It seems like she keeps finding new ways to impress me. First with the juniors, then by playing well with the amateurs and now finding a way to qualify for the U.S. Open. It's unbelievable." "Life in the Thompson household is hectic to say the least these days. My brother and my sister are playing junior golf this summer, so my parents are traveling all over the place. Family meals right now don't happen." "On Sunday I'm driving from here (Knoxville) to there (Southern Pines). It's about 350 miles so it's not too bad. Monday morning I'm going to wake up early and go walk 18 holes and set up the yardage book. I think she plays on Monday at 12:30 and then I'm going to carry her bag with my dad there. He's going to caddy for her in the tournament. I'm going to be there to help her figure out where pins might be and where there are good spots to chip from and figure out where the best lines are off the tee." "I'm 12 years older than Alexis and 10 years older than my brother (Curtis). I try to help them as much as I can. They've been pounding balls since they were 4. They were never pushed to play. It's always been a choice for them. But we lived on a golf course and they saw me play growing up and it was their decision to play." |