Emotional Lexi Thompson wants final Solheim Cup appearance but no “pity party” before shock retirement

Lexi Thompson has announced plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season.

Lexi Thompson will retire from professional golf at the end of the current season, the 29-year-old revealed in a shock announcement ahead of this week’s US Women’s Open.

Ahead of her 18th consecutive appearance at the US Women’s Open – the tournament where she became the youngest ever qualifier aged 12 in 2007 – Thompson posted a spoken statement on Instagram to announce that she’ll be putting down her clubs for good at the end of the LPGA Tour season in a move that will shock the golf world.

Speaking at Lancaster Country Club, where she’ll aim to add a US Open title to the Kraft Nabisco Championship (now Chevron Championship) she won a decade ago, the tearful American star said she’d been thinking about the announcement “for a few months now”, and had chosen this week because of it’s meaning.

“This is where my whole career got started,” she said. “This is where the whole dream that’s started of playing on the LPGA tour and being out here and playing professional golf and playing against the best. I only thought it was right to make it here.”

Despite her plans to walk away, Thompson says she still has goals to achieve in the coming months, including a final Team USA appearance.

“Number one is to definitely be on the Solheim Cup team,” she told the media. “(It’s a) Huge honor just to represent my country and play alongside the team there and my captain; definitely that.

“Every tournament I tee it up, I want to win still. Doesn’t matter what position I’m at, I want to win and just enjoy the ride and keep on seeing the improvements.

“I’ve been working very hard on my game, so to see the continued hopefully improvements, that’s big for me.”

While her retirement may seem premature given her age, the 11-time LPGA winner has already played a long career and, in recent year, has struggled with a wrist injury and battled with her mental health. In 2023 she admitted “overdoing” things, and after the 2024 Chevron Championship she said “Not being 100% healthy is never fun to deal with physically or mentally.”

Thompson took a break from golf in 2018 after admitting she had “struggled emotionally” for more than 18 months, and she became tearful as she was asked which of her struggles she was most proud to have overcome.

“That’s a great question,” she said. “I think honestly just staying true to myself. Being out here can be a lot. It can be lonely.

“Sorry if I get emotional. I said I wasn’t going to. I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recent too, a lot of people don’t – they don’t realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete. I’ll be the last one to say like throw me a pity party. That’s the last thing I want. We’re doing what we love. We’re trying the best every single day. You know, we’re not perfect. We’re humans. Words hurt. It’s hard to overcome sometimes.”

“I think we deserve a lot more credit than we get,” she added.

The Floridian, who has two LET wins alongside her LPGA successes, turned professional in June 2010 after a stellar amateur career. As well as qualifying for the US Open in 2007, where she missed the cut, Thompson won the Aldila Junior Classic to become the second-youngest winner in American Junior Golf Association history, before winning the Westfield Junior PGA Championship and becoming the youngest winner in Junior PGA Championship history.

Victory at the US Girls’ Junior followed in 2008 and she qualified for the US Women’s Open once again, narrowly missing the cut. She qualified again in 2009, still aged just 14, and made her first cut at the event, finishing T34th. She also won leading amateur honors at the Kraft Nabisco Championship the same year and lifted the Verizon Junior Heritage title.

Thompson turned pro in the middle of 2010 after impressing in the Women’s Australian Open (T16), and the Kraft Nabisco (T24) but not before she’d gone unbeaten for the victorious United States team in the Curtis Cup.

She secured her first LPGA win the following year at the Navistar LPGA Classic, making her the youngest winner in the Tour’s history at just 16 years, seven months, and eight days. Three months later she became the second-youngest winner on the Ladies European Tour as she cruised to a four-shot win at the Dubai Ladies Masters.

Unsurprisingly, expectations were high for the rest of her career, and while she’s undoubtedly one of the best-known names in golf, many believe Thompson will leave the full-time game having failed to achieve her full potential and, unless she lifts a trophy in the remainder of this year, without an LPGA victory since the 2019 Shoprite LPGA Classic.

She may have further opportunities to add to that tally beyond 2024 but wouldn’t commit to any future appearances.

“I’m taking it day by day right now,” she said when asked if we’d see her tee it up again. “I’m not going to say yes or no on how many events I’ll play or if I do. I’m just going to take it day by day and see how I feel, especially going into next year. But I’m very content with this being my last full-time schedule year.”

Thompson has 19 top 10s from 62 Major starts but has endured a torrid time at the Majors in recent years and has missed five of her last six cuts since surrendering a two-shot lead with three holes to play at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. It wasn’t the first time she’d had seen victory ripped away from her having been docked four shots before losing in a play-off after a viewer contacted the LPGA to report her failure to replace her ball correctly at the 2017 ANA Inspiration. She then lost a five-shot lead on the back nine of the 2021 US Women’s Open, finishing third.

“That was a huge moment in my career, not a great one,” said a tearful Thompson of the ANA incident. “I look at it as I grew a fan base that I never thought I would have in that moment. It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but to be there and to hear chants of my name on 17 coming down the stretch and just to be able to sign all the autographs and go through that moment, it was like the hardest moment of my career was a blessing, because it was just I learned so much and I gained fans that I never thought I would have.”

She has made six appearances for Team USA in the Solheim Cup, winning twice, and has represented her country at the Olympics in 2016 at Rio and 2021 at Tokyo. She’s also one of just seven women to make an appearance on the PGA Tour and narrowly missed the cut in last year’s Shriner’s Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin.

Thompson, who has been a fixture in the Top 10 of the Rolex World Rankings throughout most of her pro career and reached a high of 4th in 2017, is among the leading all-time earners (10th) on the LPGA having banked £14,048,571. A strong finish this week will boost that tally with a record purse on offer in Pennsylvania.

Golf pays tribute to Lexi after retirement announcement

USGA: “Lexi’s aggressive, powerful style of play earned her the respect of millions of fans, but it was the gracious way she treated those fans that won their love.

“Whatever is next for Thompson, whether or not it includes golf, she has a legion of followers who will be rooting her on. The one-time child star walks away from competitive golf just as she entered the game, with her head held high over her six-foot frame, striding the golf course golf very much on her own terms and in her own style.”

Nelly Korda: “Congratulations on an amazing career! Enjoy the rest of the year and wishing you all the best in your next chapter.” 

Michelle Wie West: “Honored to have played alongside you.” 

Suzann Pettersen: “Thanks for all the battles, laughs, and fairways we’ve shared!! Life after golf is even better. Enjoy the final stretch!” 

Paula Creamer: “You have had an amazing career, Lexi! It will be so much fun watching the next chapter of your life.”

Lexi Thompson to retire: Her career timeline

2007

• Becomes the youngest golfer ever to qualify to play in the U.S. Women’s Open, at 12 years old – since broken by Lucy Li, who made her debut aged 11.
• Wins the Aldila Junior Classic to become the second-youngest winner in American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) history.
• Wins the Westfield Junior PGA Championship to become the youngest winner in Junior PGA Championship history.

2008

• Wins the US Girls’ Junior.
• Qualifies for the 2008 US Women’s Open but misses the cut for a second time.
• Wins the Junior Ryder Cup.

2009

• As a 14-year-old, she qualifies for a third successive US Women’s Open and makes the cut for the first time ending the week in a tie for 34^th.
• Monday-qualifies for the Navistar LPGA Classic, where she shot 65 in the first round and finishes tied for 27^th.
• Wins the 2009 Verizon Junior Heritage.
• Wins the Junior Solheim Cup.

2010

• Plays in the Women’s Australian Open as an amateur where she finishes tied for 16^th.
• Maes the cut at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship (Chevron Championship), finishing T24.
• Represents the winning United States team in the Curtis Cup competition and goes undefeated, winning four matches and tying in a fifth.
• Turns professional in June, aged just 15.
• Signs with Cobra-Puma Golf and Red Bull.
• Lacks official status as an LPGA Tour member, so relies on sponsor’s exemptions in order to play in the events. Her first sponsor’s exemption is into the ShopRite LPGA Classic where she misses the cut by four strokes.
• Qualifies for the US Women’s Open and, as a pro, takes home her first paycheck from the event ($72,131) thanks to a T10 finish.
• Finishes T2 in the Evian Masters and earns $242,711 to take her career earning to $314,842 from just three professional events.
• Rises to No.74 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

2011

• Wins her first event as a pro – a one-round Fuzion Tour event at her home course in Coral Springs, Florida.
• Becomes the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event with victory at the Navistar LPGA Classic Her record stands for 11 months until 15-year-old Lydia Ko wins the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open in August 2012.
• Wins the Dubai Ladies Masters to become the youngest professional winner on the Ladies European Tour and second-youngest ever behind Amy Yang, who was four months younger when she won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as an amateur.

2012

• Becomes a member of the LPGA Tour.
• Wins the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in October.
• Wins the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November.
• Ends the year a career-high 24th in the World Rankings.

2013

• Makes her Solheim Cup debut in an 18-10 home defeat to Europe, taking one point from three matches with a 4&3 singles win over Caroline Masson.

2014

• Wins her first Major Championship – the Kraft Nabisco Championship (now Chevron Championship) – and becomes the second-youngest Major Champion.
• Represents the US at the International Crown.

2015

• Wins the Meijer LPGA Classic for her fifth LPGA victory.
• Wins the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.
• Highest career finish at the Evian Championship as she ties for runner-up.
• Achieves her highest world ranking, reaching No.4.
• Takes three points from four matches at USA regain the Solheim Cup 14.5-13.5 on European soil.

2016

• Earns her seventh LPGA Tour title at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
• Earns her first win on the LPGA Tour of Japan, winning the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup.
• Best finish at the at the Women’s British Open – T8 at Woburn Golf and Country Club.
• Represents USA at the Olympic Games in Tokyo where she finished in a tie for 19^th.

2017

• LPGA Tour win No.8 comes at the 2017 Kingsmill Championship.
• A beady-eyed TV viewer’s email denies her a second Major Championship as she receives a four-stroke penalty for replacing her ball incorrectly on the green while playing the 17th hole during the third round of the 2017 ANA Inspiration (Chevron Championship). Goes on to lose in a playoffto So Yeon Ryu.
• Recovers from Major disappointment to win the Indy Women in Tech Championship on the LPGA.
• Misses a two-foot putt on the 18th hole to lose the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship to Ariya Jutanugarn, but wins the overall Race to the CME Globe for the $1 million bonus.
• Matches her career-high world ranking of 4th.
• Takes three points from four matches as USA secure a comfortable 16.5-11.5 Solheim Cup win to keep the trophy.

2018

• Wins the CME Group Tour Championship over Nelly Korda for her 10th LPGA title and $500,000.
• Signs with Bridgestone having played with their golf balls since 2016.
• Takes a break from the golf after admitting to “struggling emotionally” for a year-and-a-half.

2019

• Records her best finish at the US Women’s Open with a T2 at Country Club of Charleston.
• Wins the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her 11^th and most recent LPGA victory.
• Takes just one point from four matches as USA suffer a heartbreaking 14.5-13.5 Solheim Cup defeat at Gleneagles.

2020

• Endures a tough year in the Majors with a T4 finish at the Chevron the highlight as she misses two cuts and fails to record a victory on the LPGA Tour.

2021

• Looks destined for US Women’s Open glory with a five-shot lead during the final round, only to shoot a five-over par 41 on the back nine and miss out on a playoff by one stroke.
• Takes 1.5 points from four as USA suffer a home defeat in the Solheim Cup.
• Represents USA at the Olympic Games for a second time, finishing 33rd in Tokyo.

2022

• Moves into 10^th on the all-time career money list on the LPGA Tour following a T5 finish at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
• Wins her first event for three years and four months at the Aramco Team Series – New York.
• Ends the year at No.6 on the World Rankings – her highest position since 2018.

2023

• Becomes the seventh woman to play on the PGA Tour when she tees it up in the Shriners Children’s Open and shoots a respectable 73-69, but misses the cut by two strokes.
• Secures three points from her four matches in the Solheim Cup but can’t prevent Europe from retaining the trophy in a thrilling match in Spain.

2024

• Announces that she will be playing with Maxfli golf balls, ending her long association with Bridgestone.
• Ahead of the US Women’s Open, announces that she will retire from golf at the end of the season.

About the Author

Rob Jerram – Digital Editor

Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.

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