Lexi announces farewell tour
Thompson will retire on her terms at end of season; Stray Shots on golf's mental toll; U.S. Women's Open primer notes
Lexi Thompson announces her end game at event where it started. (Jason E. Miczek/USGA)
Lexi Thompson is playing in her 18th U.S. Women’s Open this week, an astonishing number of starts in the biggest event in women’s golf. It is even more impressive when you consider that she is only 29 years old.
Thompson was only 12 when she qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open — the youngest ever before Lucy Li qualified at age 11. Thompson turned pro at age 15 in 2010 and joined the LPGA Tour in 2012.
In other words, she’s been doing this for a long time, which may or may not be the reason she announced on Tuesday that she will be retiring from competitive golf at the end of the year.
The surprise announcement first came from the LPGA and then was discussed by Thompson in an afternoon news conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, site of this week’s $12 million women’s major.
A winner of 11 LPGA Tour events including one major title at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco (now Chevron) Championship, Thompson explained the stress of being a professional athlete and the pressures that come with being expected to perform from such a young age.
And based on some of her comments, it’s easy to see why she might want to step away.
Several times, Thompson got emotional.
“Being out here can be a lot. It can be lonely,’’ she said.
“I just think, especially with what's happened in golf … a lot of people don't realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete. I’ll be the last one to say 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.
Thompson said in a social media post “Although this has been an amazing journey, it hasn’t always been an easy one. Since I was 12 years old, my life as a golfer has been a whirlwind of constant attention, scrutiny and pressure. The cameras are always on capturing every swing and every moment on and off the golf course. Social media never sleeps, with comments and criticisms flooding in from around the world. It can be exhausting to maintain a smile on the outside while grappling with struggles on the inside.’’