Lexi Thompson won once on the LPGA Tour and once on the Ladies European Tour (LET) prior to becoming a member of the LPGA Tour.
Thompson won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic as a 16-year-old. She also won the 2011 Dubai Ladies Masters in December for her second professional title.
Although she would not turn 17-years-old until February, 2012, LPGA Tour Commissioner, Michael Whan granted her an exemption and full tour membership for the 2012 season.
Thompson failed to win on tour in her rookie season, but did collect four top-10 finishes, earned over $600,000 and finished No. 21 on the LPGA Tour money list.
Ko just turned professional in October, but had four wins in professional tournaments as an amateur. She won consecutive CN Canadian Women’s Opens on the LPGA Tour in 2012 and 2013. She became the youngest winner ever on the LPGA Tour, when she won in 2012 as just a 15-year-old.
In 25 starts in professional tournaments as an amateur, Ko never missed a cut and had been ranked the No. 1 women’s amateur in the world for over three years.
She is currently No. 4 on the Rolex Rankings behind only Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis.
Commissioner Whan accepted her petition for membership and Ko will play a full schedule on the LPGA Tour in 2014.
Thompson gained a ton of confidence late in the year with wins at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in October and the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November.
Since 2010, she has only had two top-10 finishes in the majors. One of those did come at the Evian Championship in September and was a harbinger of her strong finish this fall.
She is one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour and improved putting late in the year helped her move up leaderboards.
Ko is a star, but she is still just a teenager. She plays with a cool calm demeanor and she is solid in every aspect of the game.
While Thompson was finishing third in the Evian, Ko finished one spot better and runner-up to the winner, Suzann Pettersen.
Ko collected the $150,000 first-place check in just her second start as a professional at the Swinging Skirts Ladies Masters in Taiwan.
Thompson is two years older than Ko and has one more year of experience.
Ko has the right attitude and a monster game. If she can handle the pressure of the constant travel and expectations from golf fans, media and sponsors, she could be a force in women’s golf for years to come.
It will be very interesting to watch these two young ladies compete next year.
A Thompson/Ko rivalry would be very good for the LPGA Tour and women’s golf in general.