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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Lexi Thompson, one of the biggest stars in women’s professional golf over the past 15 years, announced Tuesday that this will be her final season competing full-time on the LPGA Tour.
“While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time,” Thompson posted to Instagram. “At the end of 2024, I will be stepping away from a full professional golf schedule. I’m excited to enjoy the remainder of the year as there are still goals I want to accomplish.
“I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life. Time with family, friends, and my trusted companion Leo. I will always look for ways to contribute to the sport and inspire the next generation of golfers. And of course, I look forward to a little time for myself.”
Thompson, 29, is expected to address the media Tuesday at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the site of this week’s U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally.
Thompson, one of the sport’s child prodigies, will be making her 28th straight start in the U.S. Women’s Open. She was the youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open — doing it as a 12-year-old at Pine Needles in 2007 — and she made the cut in the major as a 14-year-old in 2009.
She also won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 2008 and compiled a 4-0-1 record for the U.S. team at the Curtis Cup in 2010.
Thompson, from Coral Springs, Florida, turned pro in 2010 and captured the first of her 11 LPGA victories at the Navistar LPGA Classic in September 2011. A 15-time winner around the world, Thompson’s lone major championship victory came at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
“Lexi’s impact extends far beyond the golf course,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement posted to X. “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.
“… On behalf of the LPGA, I want to thank Lexi for her incredible contributions to our Tour and to women’s golf. We wish her all the best in her next chapter, and we, along with the fans, look forward to watching her compete and celebrating her throughout the rest of the season.”
One of one. 🌟
Lexi Thompson has announced she will be retiring at the end of the 2024 LPGA Tour season. pic.twitter.com/TctyYr5xy2
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 28, 2024
Thompson came painfully close to adding to her major total, finishing runner-up or third eight times in her 63 major starts. She had 19 top-10 finishes and 35 top 25s, including a tie for second at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.
Last season, Thompson became the seventh woman to compete on the PGA Tour at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas. She posted a 2-under 69 in the second round to become the second woman to break 70 in a PGA Tour event. With a 36-hole total of even-par 142, Thompson nearly became the first woman in 80 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.