Golf is Lexi Thompson’s life. she wants something more
NAPLES, Fla. – Time has a funny way of making us forget. Something or someone can become so ingrained in our lives that we lose perspective on them. We forget context.
Take Lexi Thompson, for example. She’s only 30, so last year’s announcement that she was no longer working full-time came as a bit of a surprise. But it’s easy to forget how long Lexi Thompson has been doing this. We forget that 18 years ago, at age 12, she became the youngest person ever to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open. She turned pro at 15 years old. She followed that up with a major, 15 career wins and multiple close calls. For 15 years, I have been doing the same thing every year, and time seems to fly by.
Lexi Thompson spent the first half of her life being Lexi Thompson, a professional golfer. She had been grinding longer. In that regard, she’s still grinding. But after a season with a condensed schedule, Lexi Thompson isn’t only Professional golfer. She got engaged to boyfriend Max Provost in January. The two will get married in March. She spent more time with friends and family. Throw yourself into wedding planning. Weekend trips and vacations. Time has a different meaning when your focus is not singular.
For a guy who spends his life with a club in his hand, making room for something else is soul-soothing.
“It’s good. It gives me peace of mind,” Thompson said after the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship. “It’s a good balance, especially with engagements and wedding planning. I mean, this is my 15th year. I think a lot of people don’t realize how long I’ve been playing here because I’ve been playing golf a lot longer than I’ve been playing professional golf.
“[Golf] The damage has been done. “
When Thompson announced her retirement from the full-time schedule last year, she was greeted with tributes and a tearful sendoff that is usually reserved for players who hang up their cleats. But Thompson’s plan isn’t to stop working, or stop competing. It’s in her DNA. If not, you wouldn’t be Lexi Thompson.
So she’s playing in 13 tournaments, including this week’s Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club. She competed in the Chevron Championship and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship but fell over the weekend. She finished second at the Dow Championships. The work hasn’t stopped yet. Thompson is still training hard at home, but she said her body is feeling it more now after “everything she’s been through.” She shot a 2-under 70 on Thursday while dealing with a hip injury.
She’s still Lexi Thompson. But work no longer has to be all-consuming.
Lexi Thompson’s golf has also benefited greatly from allowing herself to be someone other than a golfer. As stress eases, freedom emerges.
“Yes [I have been freed up] “Thompson said. “I’m not going to lie. I’m very strict with myself. I’ve always been like this because I want to get the best out of myself and I know how much hard work I put in. I never settle for mediocre golf. But being able to pick my projects and keep a balance on my off weeks helps me a lot because sometimes it’s more important to keep myself balanced than practice. “
A yearlong part-time schedule eased Thompson’s burden. If this was an experiment, it seemed to be a success. All signs point to this remaining the status quo until Thompson officially bids farewell to the professional game.
But the 2026 schedule poses a problem for Lexi Thompson, who has already found her balance. With the Solheim Cup set to be held in the Netherlands in 2026, will Thompson, who has competed in every Solheim Cup since 2013, adjust her condensed schedule to ensure she makes captain Angela Stanford’s team? Or, when she chooses, will she keep playing and let the chips fall where they may?
“I mean I love Angela. She’s someone I’ve looked up to for a long time,” Thompson said. “The Solheim Cup is my favorite tournament of my career. We’ll see. The first few months, I won’t even play because there’s obviously no real competition to play in. Then there’s the wedding, the honeymoon and so on. I’m going to give myself some time to regroup and see where I want to go.”
There’s no concrete answer yet, which speaks to the impact this change will have on Thompson. Golf once meant everything: drive. Guiding light. her identity. But professional golf can also be isolating and unforgiving. In many cases, it doesn’t give you back everything you put in, which can be a burden.
Prodigy and Grand Slam champion Lexi Thompson took a step back (not away) and found what she was looking for—what she needed.
“I learned there’s more to life,” Thompson said. “Wedding planning and all of that, it’s not just a game. If I’m having a hard time here, I try to remind myself that it’s okay, you’ve got another day and you’re doing great things here.”
Lexi Thompson Still Will here like She has been there for 15 years. but she won’t always Come here. Her mind won’t be locked on a game that can’t be perfected. After 15 years, Lexi Thompson has transformed herself into a different person.
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