"I'm sure she has many Women's British Opens in front of her."

What am I missing about all of the columns and complaints regarding Alexis Thompson not getting a chance to qualify for the Women's Open Championship? She had a way in, as an amateur, and at 15 she decided to turn profressional. Now her agents--key distinction there--are making it sound as if she was unjustly blocked.

James Corrigan reports on the Ladies Golf Union admirably admitting it was no longer in the exemption business post-Wie.

Shona Malcolm, the chief executive of the Ladies Golf Union, insisted there was nothing the governing body could do to accommodate Thompson and revealed it was the preferential treatment of Wie which led to them adopting strict criteria. When Wie was 15 she received a "special exemption" into the Women's British Open, ironically held at Birkdale, where she was to finish third. "We have tightened up our regulations since then because of other players' criticisms over that exemption," said Malcolm.

Many will support with the LGU's hard-line, but Thompson's situation is different from her starlet predecessor. As a member of the US Curtis Cup team, Thompson received an exemption into final qualifying, but, under their rules, the LGU rescinded it when she turned pro six weeks ago. That meant her only possible route was through the first stages of qualifying.

"The problem was they clashed with the US Women's Open so there was no chance of Lexi making it," said the management spokesman. "After she finished 10th at the US Open we made repeated requests to the LGU to allow her into final qualifying. They refused. Lexi is obviously disappointed. There was basically no path into Birkdale. All she wanted was the chance to try to qualify."

She had that chance had she remained an amateur. You cash in and there are consequences that come with that. What am I missing here?