Lexi Thompson can take heart in having grown the women’s golf game while growing up in it
That Thompson is choosing to leave the Tour at the age of 29 sent shock waves through the sport, if only because she has been such a fixture and staple for so long. In 2007, at age 12, Thompson was the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the US Women’s Open (since broken by Lucy Li, who was 11 in 2014) and by June of 2010, when she was 15, she turned pro.
Through success like winning her sole major at the 2014 Chevron Championship, through challenges like injury or intense social media scrutiny, Thompson persevered, she and her booming driver raising the profile and popularity of her sport.
But in realizing she’d had enough, that there were new challenges to try and more family time to enjoy, she is ready to move on. But not before this first-ever FM Championship in Boston, not before the upcoming Solheim Cup, for which she will make her seventh consecutive appearance as a recent captain’s pick, not before hearing the respect and appreciation from so many of her peers.
“Lexi has been great for the game of golf. She’s such a household name and has done so much, especially at a young age,” Khang said after a round that ended with neither woman making much headway up the leaderboard but left them both fulfilled nonetheless.
Identical 1-under 71 scores have put them in a 10-way tie for 13th heading into Sunday’s conclusion.
“She is not too much older than I am, but it’s pretty cool that like when I was growing up playing junior golf Lexi was kind of crushing it out here on tour,” Khang said. “You know, we’re sad to see her leave. Being able to play this round — and I played with her a couple weeks ago in Canada — like I said, it’s always fun playing with her. The tour will miss her.
“I think all the fans will as well, and the players. Being able to kind of be on the same team with her on the Solheim Cup coming up, it might be her last one. Who knows, maybe she changes her mind and comes out of retirement. But it’s going to be a fun week.
“I think the fans as well are acknowledging how much of a loss we are going to have with Lexi retiring … Maybe we’ll see a little bit more of her.”
