Lexi Thompson blunder affects 40 players this week

The final LPGA major of the season plays out this week at the Women’s British Open in England, but it’s been a disastrous start for nearly a third of the field.   

Close to 40 players were left without their clubs for Monday’s practice round at the Woburn Golf Club – an error caused by world number three, Lexi Thompson.

According to a report by Golf Channel’s Randell Mell, Thompson, who missed the cut at last week’s Evian Championship, left her passport in her golf bag.  

The resulting issue arose from the fact that her bag was being transported from France in a rental van, driven by Seve Ballesteros’ former caddie Ian Wright, alongside 38 other players’ clubs. 

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“Lexi Thompson left her passport in one of the golf bags that were on the truck I was driving here,” Wright told Mell. 
Wright explained by the time he found the passport in the packed van, handed it to Thompson’s caddie and got back behind the wheel, he was set back three hours, subsequently missing his scheduled ferry. 

The panicked driver then had to battle through Monday rush hour traffic, not arriving at the Woburn Golf Club until 5pm, at which time the course was closed to the players for maintenance. 

“I had to stop and wait for her caddie to come and retrieve it. I think I might have screamed. I had to drive through the night to get here.”

The truck that was being driven from France up to England was thought to be carrying the bags of high-ranking players including; Nelly Korda, Carlota Ciganda Ryan O’Toole and Anna Nordqvist – all missing the chance to get a practice round under their belts. 

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O’Toole was one of the players who vented their frustration at the situation.

“I don’t know why the driver would agree to accommodate one person knowing it would punish about a third of the field,” O’Toole told the Golf Channel.

“The driver should have said, ‘hey, I’ve got to get these clubs to Woburn. If you want the passport, somebody’s going to have to fly there to get and being it back.”