Cobra-PUMA Golf announced that its signed an equipment, apparel and footwear endorsement deal with Alexis “Lexi” Thompson, the youngest female golfer to turn professional.
Since Cobra and Puma teamed up this spring, Lexi is the first athlete its signed under the newly merged brand.
Via the press release:
“Lexi’s style and groundbreaking performance on the course make her the perfect Cobra and PUMA Golf representative,” said Bob Philion, President of COBRA-PUMA GOLF. “Our brands are well suited to her game right now and are poised to progress with her career in the future, while she develops as a professional golfer.”
Lexi’s youthfulness, commitment to the sport, and drive for performance makes her an ideal athlete for COBRA-PUMA GOLF. She joins the company’s current world-class roster that includes PUMA Golf’s Rickie Fowler, Johan Edfors, and Anna Nordqvist, and Cobra’s Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas and J.B. Holmes. Lexi, however, will be the first professional representing both brands on the course. As part of this long-term partnership, she will wear PUMA Golf shoes featuring Smart Quill technology, and PUMA’s performance golf apparel. She will also play the Cobra S2 Driver (8.5°), Cobra S2 Fairway (3-wood), Baffler Rail Hybrid (2/H) and Cobra S2 Forged irons (3-PW), and will be featured in upcoming marketing campaigns, consumer and trade events.
“I am proud to represent Cobra and PUMA Golf,” she said. “Not only do both brands make great, technically advanced products that will help me play better on the course, but I’ve always loved them both for their edge and style. In my last amateur event, I played a Cobra S2 Driver and S2 Forged irons, and look forward to wearing my new PUMA gear at my first professional event in June. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to having fun and excelling on the course during my first few years as a professional golfer, with the support of COBRA-PUMA GOLF.”
At last week’s Curtis Cup, Lexi won four matches, including a 6-and-5 win on Sunday. She’s played in three consecutive U.S. Women’s Opens (2007-2009), captured both the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and 2009 Junior PGA Championship, and successfully represented the U.S. in the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup.
Lexi debuts with Cobra-PUMA golf this week at her first professional event, the LPGA ShopRite Classic.
June 16th, 2010 on 3:13 pm
Good for her ! But PLEASE ! (dear lord) keep her away from the Skittles clothing aisle that Rickie Fowler shops on.
I really hope some of these young players can revitalize the Cobra line. There are stores that have stopped stocking Cobra because of the split with Titleist. They wouldn’t tell me if it’s just a temporary thing until this fall or winter when Puma takes over.
June 16th, 2010 on 3:25 pm
Go on, be a Puma!
Hope she gets a top-20 this week or something similar.
June 16th, 2010 on 4:01 pm
15 is too young to play professional golf. It’s just crazy. Time and time again, we’ve seen the lifestyle and pressure get to these kids. You just aren’t psychologically, emotionally or even physically mature enough to be able to handle this kind of lifestyle. She should dominate the amateur ranks and when the time comes (20 or 21) she should go pro. I just don’t understand how their parents allow this to happen. Too much money, not enough sense.
June 16th, 2010 on 4:13 pm
Usually very true, Chris. Remember, though, she HAS won on the amateur level on a regular basis. She isn’t pushing for an early Tour card, she’ll be playing her 6 allowed sponsors exemptions, plus a couple of others she can qualify for…maybe some Monday qualifiers during the summer when she’s not in school.
Alexis has the advantage of having an older brother who is an accomplished PGA Tour player, another older brother who is an excellent player, and parents who have been through this all before.
She may regret not choosing college down the road for social reasons, but not golf reasons. She’ll be collecting checks a few months out of the year and going to school like a regular kid for a few more years.
June 16th, 2010 on 4:40 pm
Chris, that’s just silly. How is 15 y/o too young to play golf for a living. You have 15 y/o models, actors, tennis players, Bieber’s, etc.. So now you say playing a game is going to ruin Alexis. This girl is better prepared to be a golf professional than any of most child stars. Alexis is smart for juumping to the pro ranks now while the money is being offered. It takes a lot of pressure off her to just go play golf.
Jennifer Song turned pro this week too. She’s 20 y/o and last summer won the US Women’s Amateur and the Women’s Public Links. She also played for USC for about 3 years. That’s a very impressive amateur career, however she is not getting the same sponsorship offers. So now she has the pressures of getting in tournaments and paying the cost of being a professional.
June 16th, 2010 on 5:07 pm
Song will be on the Duramed Futures Tour – not the LPGA – playing for gas money for the last 9 tournaments of the year hoping to get into the top 5 on the money list so she doesn’t have to go to Q-school.
Song has the titles from last summer – but not the recognition to turn pro and be put on the list for LPGA sponsors exemptions.
June 16th, 2010 on 6:17 pm
courtgolf – aside her invite to the Shoprite Mr. Thompson doesnt have any status on the LPGA as far as i know – so i guess she will join Song to play for “gas money” and the LPGA tourcard in the future.
BTW – her amateur career isnt really stellar at all – aside a win at the Girls’ Junior Golf Championship in 08 – she won nothing important in her career so far. But learning to win, closing it out is an important element of becoming a world class player – but we will see how her decision will work out for her and if its a smart long term decision to go pro as young as she is, or just one, which is focused on the short term money…
June 16th, 2010 on 7:34 pm
Alexis is ready for the LPGA. She is ready mentally, emotionally, and skill-wise. She has also grown physically. She is taller and looks terrific addressing the ball. She is playing with Christina Friday, which should be………interesting!
Look at how she has played in top level events. I might be a bit overboard, but she is a combination of Pressel tenacity and savvy and Wie raw skill. Watch out!
June 16th, 2010 on 10:30 pm
Juergen – “Mr Thompson” ?? the Shoprite doesn’t give her any status. This is one of six allowable sponsor’s exemptions she is allowed. She has enough of a name that she’ll get the other 5 with very little effort.
She won’t be playing for gas money – she signed with Puma / Cobra. She’s set for cash. Now she’s playing for experience until she turns 18 and is eligible for an LPGA Tour card.
Song is literally playing for her career. She’s over 18 and now a pro. If a Futures Tour players makes $40k, she’s had a really good season. $100k has only been topped twice.
June 17th, 2010 on 8:04 pm
courtgolf, You are wrong that “she’ll be playing her 6 allowed sponsors exemptions, plus a couple of others she can qualify for…maybe some Monday qualifiers during the summer when she’s not in school.” News reports said her father will will try to get her into 12-15 tournaments before the end of 2010. School will not get in the way because she does not go to school. Her homeschooling takes up only a few hours a day. When she turns 16 in February, she can legally quit the whole school thing altogether.
She got a lot of attention from qualifying for the U.S. Open at age 12. Is this enough to turn pro at age 15? I don’t think so.
June 18th, 2010 on 11:15 pm
The reps in charge of COBRA-PUMA sure have audacity to sign a girl,who is barely a teenager,to well recognized brand. What happens if this girl does not perform well? Maybe invest your money in athletes who have truly made it in their professional careers. I hope this naivety won’t tarnish the names of both Cobra and Puma. Real smart move signing a girl who isn’t old enough to have a driver’s license. Who’s your new CEO, a high school senior?
June 18th, 2010 on 11:19 pm
hahah @ DSAI, I know from confirmed sources she blows off her education, virtual school, has other people do it for her. real good example for younger children who i guess cobra/ puma is supposedly marketing toward… what parents in their right mind would take their child out of school after fifth grade. let’s she how she turns out in 10 years….
September 17th, 2010 on 6:02 am
“Song is literally playing for her career. She’s over 18 and now a pro. If a Futures Tour players makes $40k, she’s had a really good season. $100k has only been topped twice.”
actually it has never been topped according to their records….
http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/Stats/StatisticalArchives.asp
Cindy LaCrosse, this year, has mad 94 k which is the record.
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