LPGA's Brittany Lincicome set to play in PGA Tour event

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Brittany Lincicome is set to join an elite group — female professionals playing in a PGA Tour event.

 

Lincicome said Friday at the U.S. Women's Open that she was asked to play in the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky July 19-22.

 

"I love competing with the guys," she said. "I feel like I step up my game when I play with them. I play a little harder, try a little harder when I play against them. I always thought it would be cool to try."

 

Her exemption for the event was first reported by Golf Digest.

 

Tom Murray, president and CEO of Perio, which owns the Barbasol and Pure Silk brands, reached out to her a couple of weeks ago, Lincicome said.

 

"I was kind of torn," she said. "Obviously I can already hear people saying you are trying to compare yourself to the men. That's not what it is."

 

Other female pros who have played in a PGA Tour event include Michelle Wie, Babe Zaharias, Annika Sorenstam and Suzy Whaley.

 

The 32-year-old Lincicome is an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour. She said she's already feeling more nervous about it than she would a major championship and is uncertain what kind of reception she'll get.

 

"I feel like in a major, it's on me because it's what I do," Lincicome said. "That, I feel like every time I walk by one of those guys they are going to look at me like, Why the heck are you here? What are you doing here kind of a look. Hopefully they are really nice."

 

Lincicome is sixth on the LPGA Tour in driving distance.

 

"The golf course sounds like it's pretty wide open," she said. "It's going to be obviously pretty far, but that's nothing I don't think I can handle."

 

 

This article was written by John Zenor from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.