Lexi Thompson, 29, set to retire after the 2024 LPGA season
Thompson will be competing in her 18th straight U.S. Women's Open later this week
Lexi Thompson has announced that she will retire from full-time golf after the 2024 LPGA season.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Women's Open, which will begin later this wek at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, Thompson, 29, said she feels she is at a point in her life where she's ready to move away from a full-time golf schedule.
"There's more things to life than going to a tournament every week and doing the same training every day," Thompson said. "There's just more to it and I'm looking forward to experiencing that. I feel like I'm very content with where my life is and where this decision will lead me to. I'm just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf."
On Tuesday morning, Thompson posted an Instagram video saying she was eager to spend more time with friends, family and her dog Leo.
Thompson told reporters she'd been contemplating this decision for a few months and will see how she feels next year and determine which tournaments she may want to play in the future on a part-time schedule.
"I'm taking it day by day right now," Thompson said. "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."
This week's major will be Thompson's 18th straight appearance at the U.S Women's Open. She was 12 years old when she became the then-youngest golfer to ever qualify to play in the U.S. Women's Open in 2007.
Thompson has 15 wins worldwide since turning pro in 2010, with her only major victory coming at the 2014 Chevron Championship. She has not won on the LPGA Tour since 2019.
It's been quite a career 👏
From your first @uswomensopen in 2007 to now, we're honored to have been along for the ride. pic.twitter.com/AUkrOWOqHt— USGA (@USGA) May 28, 2024
This season on tour, Thompson has finished T16 and T3, but also missed four of her last five cuts, including the preceding three tournaments heading into this week's U.S. Women's Open.
“While these achievements are remarkable in and of themselves, Lexi’s impact extends far beyond the golf course,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said. “She embodies the spirit and dedication of our founders – always showing up and engaging intentionally to help further the growth and impact of the LPGA. She is beloved by fans, consistently seen signing autographs and interacting with them no matter the result that day. … Lexi’s remarkable career and the way she has conducted herself both on and off the course have inspired countless girls around the world to pursue their goals with passion and perseverance.”
After winning the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship in 2008, Thompson made the cut at the 2009 U.S Women's Open at age 14. Two years later, she earned the first of her 11 LPGA wins at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
Thompson also represented the United States at the Solheim Cup six times, winning twice in 2015 and 2017. She was also on the U.S. Olympic teams in 2016 and 2021.
Last October, Thompson became the the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event when she took part in the Shriners Children's Open. She finished at even par after posting a 69 for her second round, following a 73 in Round 1, but missed the cut by two strokes.
