Almost exactly 17 years after coming to town and winning the 2009 Sally Amateur Golf Championship at Oceanside Country Club, Lexi Thompson returns next weekend to serve as grand marshal for the 64th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Oh, by the way, between that Sally victory and this year’s Rolex, Thompson turned pro at 15 and went on to win 11 tournaments (including one major) on the LPGA Tour.
Like several other golf stars — including Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Annika Sorenstam — Thompson is among the “family members” who serve as brand ambassadors for Rolex, the longtime sponsor of Daytona’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
Along with other promotional duties prior to the start of the Jan. 24-25 Rolex 24 (next Saturday-Sunday), Thompson’s most visible duty will involve her pre-race command of “Drivers, start your engines.”
The Rolex 24 generally leans on past sports-car greats to serve as grand marshal, while the Daytona 500’s list of grand marshals includes a wide variety of figures from the worlds of politics, sports and entertainment.
Thompson, a South Florida native, is believed to be the first golfer to serve in the role for any race at Daytona.
When is Rolex 24 at Daytona?
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Rolex 24 saves tee time for Lexi Thompson to serve as grand marshal
Reporting by Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
