“While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time,” Lexi Thompson wrote in her letter on Instagram on May 25, announcing her unexpected retirement from professional golf ahead of the US Women’s Open. After 17 long years of competing on the courses, her decorated career will come to an end as the 2024 season completes.

At the age of 29, Thompson is looking forward to enjoying the final season of her professional career. But she is more excited for what she calls ‘the next chapter of her life’. She will be spending more time with her family, friends, and dog, Leo. However, with the news, another latest update came into motion. Two weeks before the final major of the season reveals upsetting news for fans amid Lexi’s retirement decisions.

The 2024 AIG Women’s Open will be Lexi Thompson’s last Major

The 2024 AIG Women’s Open will kick off in just a few hours at the Old Course. Some of the top players on the women’s golf circuit will be competing for the championship trophy and a portion of the $9 million purse. The 11-time LPGA Tour champion has won only one major in her life (the 2014 Chevron Championship).

However, it looks like the fifth major of the season will be her last opportunity to add a second major victory to the list. The official Instagram account of the AIG Women’s Open took to its wall and shared a compilation video of the American golfer. Making the news official, they wrote, “Lexi Thompson will play her last ever major at the AIG Women’s Open.”

Lexi Thompson has been playing majors since the age of 12. At the 2007 US Women’s Open, she made her debut in partnership with Rolex, becoming the youngest player to ever qualify for the tournament. She turned pro three years later, in 2010. And while golf has been deeply rooted in her heart, it has sometimes shown its ugly side to her as well!

Lexi Thompson talks about the struggles she had with golf

“Unfortunately, in golf, you lose more than you win, so it’s an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it,” said the 29-year-old after announcing her retirement. She has failed to grab a victory on the LPGA Tour since June 2019 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Outside of the tour, she had an individual win at the Aramco Team Series in October 2022. She finished inside the top-3 eight times in five events. Coming so close to grabbing the trophy, but failing, feels miserable indeed. The most unfortunate was what happened at the 2017 ANA Inspiration.

Lexi Thompson unknowingly violated a rule. She mismarked her ball, resulting in a four-shot penalty during the third round. Nonetheless, she battled through it and made it to the final playoff on Sunday with Ryu So-yeon. But was defeated by the South Korean player. At one point, she was left frustrated and even told, “Just staying true to myself. Being out here can be a lot. It can be lonely,” shedding tears. Well, she did choose to prioritize her mental health before her career; Thompson decided on a sudden retirement. Since then, it seems like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders and she has been seen happier than ever, enjoying vacations and family time!