Lexi Thompson has explained why she is comfortable with her decision to retire from full-time professional golf at the age of just 29.
Despite her relatively young age, the American will be competing in her 18th consecutive US Women’s Open this week, having first appeared at the Major when she was just 12. In an emotional press conference ahead of the Lancaster Country Club event, Thompson admitted that golf has dominated her life since her early childhood and that she is ready to try new things.
She said: “Golf has been my life ever since I was 5 years old, tournaments when I was 7. I haven't really known much of a life different, but it's been an amazing one.”
She continued: “There's more things to life than going to a tournament every week and doing the same training every day. 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. Yeah, I'm just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf.”
Despite Thompson’s decision to step away from the game at the end of the LPGA Tour season, she didn’t rule out a return to action on a part-time basis.
“I'm not going to say yes or no on how many events I'll play or if I do,” she explained. “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.”
Thompson, who played on the PGA Tour last year in the Shriners Children's Open, also opened up on the difficulties professional players face, saying: “A lot of people don't - they don't realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete. I'll be the last one to say like 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."
She added: “I think it's a lot for everyone out here or in any professional sport. A lot of people don't know what we go through. The amount of training and hard work that we put ourselves through, it's a lot. I don't think we deserve - I think we deserve a lot more credit than what we get.”
Powerful words from Lexi pic.twitter.com/7c6peI6x8DMay 28, 2024
While Thompson, whose one Major win to date came at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship, is not looking too far ahead, she admitted there is one burning ambition she has this year - a seventh appearance on the US Solheim Cup team. She said: “Number one is to definitely be on the Solheim Cup team. Huge honor just to represent my country and play alongside the team there and my captain; definitely that."
Thompson also hinted what the future may hold away from the relentless life of a full-time LPGA Tour pro, both in her business and personal life. She said: “I'm super into fitness. Hopefully I'll have my Lexi Fitness app up and going very soon. And just enjoying life. Family's huge for me, so I hope to have a family one day."
Far from a spur-of-the-moment decision, Thompson also admitted the thought of retiring had been in her mind for some time. She added: “I've been thinking about it for a few months now. It's just a matter of time and place.
"Like I said before, this is where my whole career got started. This is where the whole dream that's started of playing on the LPGA Tour and being out here and playing professional golf and playing against the best. I only thought it was right to make it here.”
Thompson is in a group with Rose Zhang and Minjee Lee in the first two rounds of the US Women’s Open, with the three teeing it up at 1.58pm ET (6.58pm BST) on Thursday.
