“While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time,” remember these emotional parting words from Lexi Thompson at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open? These words from the LPGA star sent shockwaves through the golfing world. The LPGA even made it official, “Lexi Thompson announces retirement from LPGA Tour,” via a video montage, and Thompson, appearing teary-eyed, was showered with heartfelt messages from fans. But fast forward to 2025, Thompson has already made five starts this season, and her retirement statement has caused collective confusion.
Having turned professional in 2010, Thompson has amassed 11 LPGA Tour victories and has consistently been a top contender in women’s golf. Despite the phenomenal success she has had on the Tour, Thompson has struggled with persistent injuries and mental health issues, which she spoke of while announcing her retirement last year.
“I think the need for balance and the value of it is something that I learned through the years, but it’s still something that I’m trying to figure out because all I know is training and practicing. I have to tell myself sometimes it’s OK to take a day off or go on a vacation and not feel bad. I still have to kind of put that in my mind and be OK with it,” she said, reflecting on the importance of breaks. But her statement after a tied 14th finish at the 2025 Chevron Championship took everyone by surprise: “It’s not like I’m just going out here to show face,” as she hinted at her retirement announcement being misconstrued, and she’s here to compete.
Reiterating her ‘semi-retirement’ at a press conference this week at the Meijer LPGA Classic, the one-time major winner was asked about her need to clarify her retirement status recently given her five appearances already this season — “I feel like once I made the announcement, I feel it really got misconstrued that I was retiring, but I never said that word. I just said I was stepping back from a full-time schedule.”
Thompson went on to add that she merely wanted to take a step back from her tight schedule to understand her intentions with the game. “Big picture I probably shouldn’t have said that I was stepping away because people thought I was retiring. Just really wanted to dial back my schedule and have more of a life balance, but at the same time, if I went through a phase where I didn’t want to play at all I left that door open as well. I just wanted people to know that.”
And while some of her statement holds the truth, she did end her 2024 season at the CME Group Tour Championship tearfully, when she clearly expressed that it was her last tournament on a full-time schedule, “It was very emotional. Really wasn’t until I got to No. 9 for some reason. It kind of all hit me. Yeah, it’s just always a special week regardless if it was my last tournament as a full-time schedule or not.”
While her schedule so far doesn’t have the feel of a part-time player, Thompson said she will play only ten events this year, so she can enjoy the ones she’s playing in and take it one step at a time. And it’s crucial, given that she has been on the tour for almost two decades now.
Lexi Thompson’s journey in transition
This week at the Meijer LPGA Classic will mark Thompson’s sixth start of the season, a tournament she won in 2015, just a year after its inception. Last year, she lost the title to Lilia Vu and Grace Kim during a playoff and finished second. Her fixed schedule of ten events will also include her third major of the year, next week at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
While she will continue to play three events consecutively starting this week, Thompson is unsure of what the rest of the season will look like for her. “The plans as of now I’m playing actually these three weeks in a row. Dow as well. And then I’m probably going to do a bit of a break. Not set in stone right now but there are some personal things that I have to do when I’m home in the next few months. So we’ll see,” she shared. Her father recently had a back surgery, so most probably she’ll be spending time with him.
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