An emotional Lexi Thompson shockingly announces retirement plans ahead of U.S. Women’s Open

Lexi Thompson, one of the faces of the LPGA Tour, is retiring after the 2024 golf season, even though she’s still only 29 years old.

Thompson, who will be making her 18th appearance in the U.S. Women’s Open this week at Lancaster Country Club, is confident in her decision.

“I feel like I’m at a point in my life where it’s time to step away from full-time work,” Thompson said.

“There’s more to life than just playing tournaments every week and doing the same training every day. It’s not all that. I’m looking forward to experiencing it. I’m very happy with where my life is and where this decision will take me. I’m excited to see what life has in store outside of golf.”

Thompson has been in the spotlight for almost his entire life.

She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time at age 12 in 2007, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. She quickly gained fame after her major championship debut and turned professional in 2010. She then made her LPGA debut in 2011 and went on to win 11 tournaments, including the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2014, which was her only major title to date.

That year, her victory at Mission Hills made her the second-youngest major champion in women’s golf history at age 19.

But since then, Thompson has often grown uncomfortable in the spotlight: She hasn’t won an LPGA tournament since 2019 and has battled a variety of injuries on and off.

She also struggled mentally, taking a month off in 2018 because she felt she needed to rest, and admitted that she didn’t feel like herself at the time.

“It’s hard being here. It can get lonely,” Thompson said Tuesday, fighting back tears.

“A lot of people don’t understand what we go through as professional athletes. I’m the last person to tell you to have a pity party. That’s the last thing I want. We do what we love. We try our best every day. But, you know, we’re not perfect. We’re human. Words hurt. It’s hard to get through sometimes.”

Many expected Thompson to win multiple major championships and quickly become one of the golfing greats, but as any golf fan knows, the sport comes with its trials and tribulations, which can often frustrate players.

It’s no wonder the great Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is played on a five-inch course, the distance between your ears.”

But in the age of social media, where the camera is always on, poor performance or a slump lasting for weeks can erode confidence and leave you with an internal dilemma that’s hard to define.

“Everybody here is going through their own struggles, that’s what I always say: Don’t judge anyone because you don’t know what they’re going through or what’s going on inside, just be kind,” Thompson said.

Photo: Mike Ehrman/Getty Images

“I think we all have our own struggles, especially here. Unfortunately, in golf you lose more than you win, so to go in front of the camera and keep working hard is a constant battle and you might not get the results you want and you might get criticized. So it’s hard.”

Thompson had been pondering the decision for several months, but because her career began at the U.S. Women’s Open, she felt obligated to bring it all full circle this week in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

However, she left open the possibility of competing in some events in the future, just not on a full-time schedule.

“Right now I’m just taking it one day at a time. I can’t say yes or no as to how many tournaments I’ll play or if I’ll play at all,” Thompson said.

“We’ll see how I feel day by day, especially heading into next year, but I’m very happy with this year as it’s my last year playing a full-time schedule.”

She may continue to play in this tournament in the future, or she may not.

Either way, Thompson leaves behind a lasting legacy of generosity and empathy. Think back to last fall, when she nearly made the cut at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.

Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Despite missing the weekend, Thompson was still the star of the show, not because of her play but because of her compassion for everyone there. She had patients from the Shriners Hospitals for Children network design her golf bag. Thompson signed countless autographs and spent plenty of time with dozens of kids.

But the great thing about Thompson is that she carries it this way wherever she goes. Regardless of her scores, her results or the number of birdies, Thompson will always be one of the LPGA’s favorite players — not because of her accomplishments on the golf course, but because of the person she is off it.

She’s thrived through the ups and downs of a difficult time coming of age so quickly, so perhaps this announcement isn’t all that shocking, considering she played in 18 of the biggest events in women’s golf before her 30th birthday. Either way, at least Thompson will have some fun in retirement, the pressure will surely be lifted and her smile will continue to shine.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.