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Lexi ready to tackle Blythefield with the claw

Posted at 8:33 PM, Jun 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-11 20:34:19-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Lexi Thompson won the 2015 Meijer LPGA Classic and comest o Blythefield Country Club this week in great form, thanks in part to a new putting stroke: "the claw."

"I am getting more and more comfortable with it," Lexi said Tuesday after the practice round. "I changed to it Tuesday at the U.S. Women's Open. My brother Curtis came to the tournament. He's always told me, 'You should try it, it works great,' because he uses the claw as well, and I have always pushed it off, and he finally wore on me. So I caved."

Thompson finished tied for second that week in Charleston, South Carolina, and followed that up with a win last week in New Jersey at the ShopRite Classic.

"It is all just a matter of practice and getting the feel for it and making sure it flows," Thompson said. "It is a lot different than overlap grip ...  but it is getting more comfortable for me and I love it. I think it works better for my stroke."

Thompson is a favorite to win this week, considering that her last four starts at Blythefield have all been inside the top 10, including her 2015 win.

"I love this golf course, and it is definitely playing a lot softer than other times that we have played it," Thompson said. "This course brings a lot of great memories and ... the community supports this event and vice versa. So it is just amazing to be here. I love being here in Grand Rapids."

The first round of the four-day tournament is set to begin on Thursday morning.