LPGA Updates: Lexi Thompson Will Play With New Ball at LPGA Drive On Championship After Bridgestone Split

2024 is turning out to be a tumultuous year for golf sponsors! Fans have seen many players leave their long-time sponsors, starting with Jason Day leaving Nike, and joining Malbon Golf. Following him, Tiger Woods also left the company. LPGA star Lexi Thompson also added her name to this list when she left Bridgestone.

But fans were wondering who the 28-year-old would join for sponsorship. Now it has been revealed that Lexi Thompson has shaken heads with Maxfli for an exclusive golf ball partnership. She will begin playing the Maxfli Tour ball at the LPGA Drive-On Championship this week in Bradenton, Florida.

She said, “I’ve been testing the Maxfli Tour Series for a few months now, and the Maxfli Tour ball exceeded my expectations.” It will be interesting to see her performance with the new sponsored ball from Maxfli.

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This move has surprised many long-term fans of the athlete. She has been with Bridgestone for over six years and was using the brand’s golf balls even before that.

Lexi Thompson is the first signing for Maxfli

For the uninitiated, Maxfli is a brand owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods. It was previously owned by TaylorMade, but they sold it in 2008. The brand was infamous for making lesser-quality balls as compared to TaylorMade, Callaway, and Bridgestone. However, Maxfli has seen a revival over the years.

In 2023, they released three Tour balls: the Tour, Tour X, and Tour S. Interestingly enough, Thompson is the first professional golfer that the brand has partnered with.

This move becomes even more shocking as the LPGA star left a well-established brand like Bridgestone for a reviving company. Bridgestone is famous for being the choice of Tiger Woods. The 11x LPGA Tour winner is herself known to have been using Bridgestone since 2016.

However, there is no news as to why the two parted ways. Bridgestone CEO Dan Murphy released a statement during Thompson’s departure, wishing her great success in golf and life. With the LPGA star stating she has been using the Maxfli Tour Series ball for a few months, it looks like the split with Bridgestone was a long time coming.

In the meantime, Lexi Thompson will appear competing with the Maxfli golf balls for the first time at the LPGA Drive On Championship at the Bradenton Country Club. The event will run from January 25 to January 28, with 120 players duking it out for a $1,750,000 purse.

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