Why Did Lexi Thompson Exit the 2024 Evian Championship Despite Return to Form? Her Controversial History With the Major Explored

From retirement bombshell to leaderboard battles, 2024’s been wild for Lexi Thompson. This has cast a spotlight on her performance this year, which hasn’t been the best. From consecutively missing cuts in four LPGA tournaments, including two majors—the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open. The American golfer is once again in the news, this time regarding the upcoming major.

The one-time major winner will be absent from the fourth major of this season—the Amundi Evian Championship, set to kick off on July 11th. This won’t be the first time Lexi Thompson skips competing at the Evian Resort Golf; the last time she teed off on the French greens was back in 2019. This absence might raise questions about the reasons behind it.

Lexi Thompson’s baffling six-year absence from the Evian-les-Bains event (including this year’s edition) remains unclear. However, some might point to her past struggles at the Amundi Championship as a contributing factor. Thompson’s last Evian outing in 2019 ended in frustration as she missed the cut on the tournament for the second time in a row.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, she vented her frustration and expressed her feelings about the course not being suitable for her. “I’m actually very thankful that I don’t have to put myself thru that for another two days. You’re a beautiful place Evian but that’s just too many bad breaks with good shots for me, so bye @evianchamp ! #justnotforme #allgood #onward.”

The eleven-time LPGA Tour winner realized that she should not have let her negative emotions take control. She quickly removed the post and replaced it with another one that conveyed her feelings in a more positive light: “My words were only directed at my frustration of not playing well in a major and at the unfortunate bounces we all get while playing this crazy game of golf. I didn’t mean it in a mean way at all.”

The post further said, “Obviously just hasn’t been the course for me the last few years, but some girls are playing great, and I wish them the best of luck this weekend.” By now, it has been established that the 2024 season has not been ideal. But the one-time major winner is not ready to go down without a fight, as Thompson’s performance in the recent LPGA Tour events has consolidated the proof of her regaining form.

Is Lexi Thompson ready to climb the ranks after her impressive performance in her recent LPGA outings?

Thompson’s resurgence began at the 2024 Meijer LPGA Classic, where she showcased a strong performance. Finishing the last three rounds under 70 and posting an overall score of 16 under 272, she tied with Grace Kim and Lilia Vu. However, she couldn’t capitalize in the playoffs as Lilia Vu emerged victorious.

After the Meijer LPGA Classic came the third major of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She started strong, scoring 4 under 68 on the first day. While the second round was a solid par, the last two rounds, where she scored 73 and 74, respectively, pushed her down to T9 on the leaderboard. Lastly, alongside Brooke Henderson, Thompson secured another top-10 finish, following a T8 finish at the Dow Championship.

Thompson’s fans must be feeling bitter-sweet. On one hand, her return to form brings joy, but on the other, her non-appearance in the Amundi Evian Championship must be saddening for them, especially since this year was their last chance to see her compete in the French major before her retirement.