Thompson 'ready' to compete in professional golf

Welsh golfer Luca Thompson says she knew she was "ready to go pro" after making an encouraging debut at the Women's NSW Open in Australia.

The 23-year-old hit nine birdies in her first round as a professional, to see herself tied third on the leaderboard at four shots under par.

Despite carding a second round 74, Thompson made the cut and went on to finish tied for 56th on +1.

Her strong showing at Wollongong Golf Club will only underline her evident excitement at turning professional.

"It's been really motivating," said Thompson.

"This time of the year is a bit miserable and harder to practice but it's definitely helping me get up and practice every day.

"I think mentally I'm very strong, I absolutely love the game and learning so that's always helpful."

Thompson secured her spot on the LET Golf Tour as she came through Final Qualifying School in Morocco in December, finishing 30th.

"It was a massive rollercoaster two weeks of emotions," said Thompson.

"Especially how I finished on the first stage and final stage. The last round was just so unexpected and set me up in a completely different way than how it could have been.

"We had a motto for the two weeks, shot by shot, stay in the present and feel grateful for being there in the first place rather than getting ahead of ourselves.

"It's a really nice thing to know when the pressure is on I can do it now, and step up to the nerves."

Thompson admits her successful bid to secure her spot in the professional ranks had been a tiring two weeks.

"I was absolutely exhausted, it took everything out of me," she told BBC Sport Wales.

"The last four holes were so nervy because I got to the 15th there was a leaderboard there.

"I hadn't seen it to that point and I didn't really know where I was and it was hard but it was good.

"My mum rang me up screaming down the phone, I couldn't really process it at the time, but it was just incredible."

It is safe to say that golf runs in the blood for Thompson.

Her father Zac is a PGA professional who still coaches her today and previously worked with 2008 Open Championship runner-up Ian Poulter.

She has spent endless hours training at Pavenham Park Golf Club, a course built by her father and grandfather after the family relocated to Bedford from Pembrokeshire.

"I got in at 13, I tried every other sport and thought I'd give golf a go and I loved it," she recalled.

"Dad got me some clubs for my birthday and went from there really, I've really enjoyed it.

She says hers parents have been her biggest inspiration growing up.

"They taught me that the sky is my limit, to do what I want and if I have a passion for something they're really helping me to pursue and encourage it.

"I think it was really nice that dad didn't push me into it, and I got myself into it."

Thompson also revealed some of the stories her dad would share about Poulter.

"I get to hear a lot of stories on his mindset and it's just incredible," she added.

"His path to where he's got to today was a bit unconventional.

"He would turn up for work at 16 put a trophy on the table, and then be like 'One day I'm going to be on tour', he really had belief."

When asked about her ambitions for 2026, Thompson was clear.

"Wins hopefully," she said.

"I want to stay in the process of shot by shot and learning as much as I can and then hopefully I can sit here in 2027 and go wow I'm a different person, better and hopefully on the way to where I want to be.

She says a great 2025 convinced her she was ready for the next step in her career.

"Last year there were so many great achievements, it was a really consistent year which was brilliant," said Thompson.

"I ticked off a lot of what I wanted to do as an amateur as well.

"They say you know when you're ready to go pro and it's probably the first time I felt it and knew that I was ready [for the professional ranks].

"My game has been good for a long while, I've just maybe lacked a bit of the confidence to know I can compete and now I feel ready for it."