Lexi Thompson hasn’t revealed much in recent interviews about what she’s been working on in her golf swing. But at least one part of the equation has been revealed: a new swing coach.
Tony Ruggiero posted a video of Thompson on the range last week at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, hitting balls with a resistance band on her legs.
“Always working and getting better!” Ruggiero wrote. “Lexi has been doing some really nice work! Plus a few laughs were had! Btw that driver was smashed!”
The next day, Ruggiero posted videos of Thompson’s brother Curtis hitting balls.
Ruggiero’s former students include Lucas Glover and Robby Shelton. He and Thompson began working together over the summer, Golfweek has learned.
While Thompson, 28, still remains on the outside looking in when it comes to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, her ascent over the past two months has been promising.
Thompson’s scoring average her first nine events this year was 73.41. In her last three starts on the LPGA, she averaged 68.9. That’s a 4.51 drop.
Put another way, Thompson’s score in relation to par those first nine starts was a whopping 35 over. She’s been 27 under in her last three starts.
An 11-time winner on the LPGA, Thompson played a critical role on Stacy Lewis’ Solheim Cup team last month, hitting the event’s opening tee shot and anchoring Sunday singles. She amassed a 3-1-0 record in Spain when many questioned her even being on the team.
Earlier this month, Thompson became the seventh woman to compete on the PGA Tour, carding rounds of 73-69 to miss the cut at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas. Her 69 made her the second woman to break 70 in a PGA Tour event. Michelle Wie West twice shot 68 in the Sony Open.
Thompson returns to competition on the LPGA next week at The Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, where she has finished runner-up the past two years. Thompson is currently 88th on the CME points list. She needs to be in the top 60 and ties to advance to Naples, Florida.
