Tears rolled down Lexi Thompson’s cheek before she could complete her final hole Sunday. Of course, this was more than just the end to an event – it was the conclusion to her full-time career.
Thompson gathered herself and made a 2 ½-footer for par. She then hugged her fellow competitors and her caddie, brother Nick, before being greeted with flowers and continuous applause.
“It was very emotional,” said Thompson, who shot 74 with a front-nine finish. “Really wasn’t until I got to No. 9 for some reason. Kind of all hit me.”
Thompson announced in late May, ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open, that she was retiring as a full-time LPGA player. Six months later, the emotional reality hit her.
“I’ve held a lot in,” Thompson said, not just of recent months, but in relation to her career. “I think as athletes you’re always told to be strong and be intimidating on the golf course. Don’t show any sign the weakness.
“I did it for a while, and it’s just, you know, it’s gotten to me sometimes. It’s hard. It’s not just me, it’s everybody that goes through a lot of things. It’s just a matter of how much you’re willing to hold in and let people in on your emotions. It’s kind of like the time I’m actually letting myself feel those emotions and actually be real.”
Many of the fans at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, were around the age Thompson was when she first made a name for herself. Alexis, before she was just Lexi, qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at age 12 and joined the professional ranks three years later.
Thompson’s tour career was one of extreme highs and lows. She won 11 LPGA events, including the 2014 Chevron Championship (then known as the Kraft Nabisco), and was a seven-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team.
There were also major mishaps like the 2017 Chevron (then known as the ANA Inspiration), where she was penalized four strokes for incorrectly replacing her ball in the third round and subsequently lost in a playoff. There was also the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, where she led by five strokes with nine holes to play but came home in 41 and missed a playoff by one.
There were other moments where Thompson was vocal about the intensity of the spotlight and times where she took leave from social media.
Even Sunday wasn’t a fairytale farewell as she finished on the ninth hole, because of a split-tee start, and had a quadruple bogey, two bogeys and four birdies.
Thompson, now 29, will be remembered for all of the ups and downs, but if one thing stands out above all else, it’s how beloved she was by fans, and how it was reciprocated.
“It means more to me than anything. Of course, the wins, you know, got me to what I am, the accomplishments and everything, but I wanted to leave a bigger impact as a role model, somebody who gave back to the game, somebody who made an impact on little girls and boys out here getting started in the game at a young age,” she said.
Thompson wasn’t alone in her goodbye at the CME as veterans Marina Alex and Ally Ewing decided they, too, are ready for the next phase of life. As for what’s next for Thompson, she hasn’t been specific. But she’s not done playing competitively.
In fact, she’ll be back at Tiburon in a few weeks to compete alongside partner Rickie Fowler at the mixed-gender Grant Thornton Invitational.
“I will take a few days off because of Thanksgiving and just to shut it down a little bit and give my mind a reset,” she said.
“I’m sure I’ll be right back into it at the end of this week and going into next week just trying to get ready for Grant Thornton.”
