On Tuesday, May 28, Lexi Thompson announced that she would retire from professional golf at the end of the current season. Thompson left open the possibility of playing occasional tournaments, but assured that this will be her last full-time schedule season.
Hours later, Lexi Thompson held a press conference at Lancaster Golf Club, home of the 2024 US Women’s Open. The news of her upcoming retirement naturally took up a lot of space, and Thompson became emotional due to the sensitivity of the subject.
The X (previously Twitter) account of NUCLR GOLF shared a video clip from the press conference, and in just three hours, it has received over 62,000 views.
Part of the words that brought Lexi Thompson to tears were the following:
“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 realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete.” [4:56 – 5:29]
She added:
“We’re not perfect, we’re humans, words hurt, and it’s hard to overcome sometimes… a lot of people don’t know what we go through and the amount of training and hard work that we put ourselves through. It’s a lot, and I think we deserve a lot more credit than what we get.” [5:42 – 5:49] [6:12 – 6:23]
Lexi Thompson: “I hope to have a family one day”
Reporters also asked Lexi Thompson about whether she had thought about her future outside of a full-time schedule on the LPGA Tour. Thompson responded as follows:
“Of course I’ve thought about it. I’m super into fitness so hopefully I have my Lexi fitness app up and going very soon… Just enjoying life, family is huge for me, so I hope to have a family one day and just really enjoy every experience of that.” [6:39 – 6:56]
Talking about the new phase of her life that will begin after the 2024 season ends, Thompson said she will take one day at a time. She said that while she has not given up on the idea of competing in some tournaments, she has not made a decision. What is certain, in her words, is that 2024 will be her last full-time season in professional golf.
Thompson has had a 14-season career in professional golf, starting when she was just 15 years old. In that span, she has had 15 victories, 11 of them on the LPGA Tour, including a major. She was the seventh female player to play in a PGA Tour tournament, when she teed off in the 2023 Shriner Children’s Open. Now, she will be looking to put up some impressive performances and sign off in style
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