Why is Lexi Thompson putting with her eyes closed?
LPGA Tour

Why is Lexi Thompson putting with her eyes closed?

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Lexi Thompson found herself focusing too much on the golf ball when she was putting. It freaked her out. So, like George Costanza, she did the opposite. That's why she has started putting with her eyes closed.

It worked on Day 1 of the Coates Golf Championship on Wednesday, where she shot 3-under 69 at Golden Ocala G.C. to trail Ha Na Jang by four shots.

“It feels like I’m burning a hole through the golf ball with my eyes sometimes,” Thompson said.

Thompson started the eyes-closed routine in practice at the 2015 season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, and she found it was effective. She kept doing it in practice, and she became so confident in the method that she decided to use it in competition.

She's not the first pro to try this in competition. Suzann Pettersen used to do it on the LPGA Tour. Justin Rose experimented with it, most notably at the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It isn't foolproof, however. Thompson had some shaky putts on Thursday, including a three-putt from 6 feet on the 14th hole, the second of back-to-back bogey which crushed the early momentum of seven birdies in 12 holes.

"Back nine, I hit it good once again, just didn't putt very well," she said.

One round doesn't make a trend, and Thompson will be back at it on Thursday with her lids closed.

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Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is the founder, owner and operator of Golf News Net.

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