The 16-year-old's petition to join the LPGA was granted by commissioner Mike Whan, the Golf Channel reported. The LPGA rules specify that members must be 18 to join. Thompson will not join until Feb. 2012, when she will be 17.
"Her [Thompson's] overall performance, most recently demonstrated by her win at the Navistar LPGA Classic, has currently placed her among the top 50 in the world on the Rolex Rankings," Whan said. "Additionally, her ability to handle the success and disappointment inherent to this game testifies to a level of maturity that I believe makes her capable of handling the emotional rigors of professional golf."
Thompson joins Jessica Korda, Morgan Pressel and Aree Song to be waived into the LPGA, but Thompson is the youngest. Thompson, who won the Navistar LPGA classic, became the youngest player to win an LPGA event.
Thompson has been a gold prodigy since her younger days, when she qualified for the U.S. Women's Open at 12 years of age.
