She is still finishing up her season, but it is fair to call Lexi Thompson an LPGA Tour legend.
It is usually a custom to refer to players as legends after their careers have come to a close, but though Thompson will not be on Tour full-time starting next year, retirement was not the word she used at this year's U.S. Women's Open when citing mental health as a main reason behind taking a step back from the game she has always loved.
"I think we all have our struggles, especially out here," she said back in May. "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. So, it’s hard.
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"I've struggled with it. I don't think there's somebody out here that hasn't. It's just a matter of how well you hide it, which is very sad."
Thompson fought back tears as she poured out her heart and mind about her decision, and months later, she told Fox News Digital how that decision to tell the world how she was feeling led to massive support throughout the game.
"It’s been a lot since the announcement, but all in good ways," Thompson, who also discussed her choice of Maxfli golf balls for her final full-time season, said. "I’ve gotten nothing but love and support from, of course, my family, but other competitors as well. I feel like the things I said that week kind of opened the door for fellow players and just people in general to be open and honest about how they’re feeling inside and know they’re not alone or that they have to hide certain emotions.
LEXI THOMPSON REFLECTS ON ‘EMOTIONAL WEEK’ PLAYING FOR USA FOR LIKELY LAST TIME AT SOLHEIM CUP
"I feel like that really hit a lot of people more than my actual announcement itself. That’s a big part of it, but I’ve gotten nothing but support from fellow players and everybody around me."
While soaking in all the praise, Thompson has had time to reflect on her stellar career in golf. Again, the word "retirement" was not used, but Thompson did reveal what she would like to be remembered for on and off the golf course.
"I would want people to think about my career as, of course, a talented golfer," she began. "That’s part of it. But I just want people to see me as somebody who gave back to the game, who realized the importance of what went into the tournaments and just the Tour and just being grateful for being out there.
"[I] gave back and made it a better game and helped the women’s sports just grow and getting kids involved at a younger age. I think that’s what I want to be seen as. – a role model. A role model for kids to look up to and strive to be."
Leaving the game better than when she entered it as a professional in 2010 at the age of 15 was always what Thompson had in mind. Of course, winning was always top of her mind as well, and Thompson did that 11 times on the LPGA Tour, while competing for Team USA in multiple Solheim Cups and two Olympics (2016, 2020).
As the game of golf has grown tremendously since she went pro over a decade ago, women's golf has benefited from it to the joy of Thompson.
"Of course, I don’t think it’s just me," she said, laughing. "There’s so many talented women out here who have impacted the game, have given back and that’s what makes the Tour so special.
"On my side of things, giving back to the fans, the sponsors and seeing that growth over the years in 2010 when I turned pro. We gained tournaments, we gained sponsorships, we gained TV coverage and purses have risen quite a lot. It’s just great to see the growth, and we’re getting the praise women’s golf needs and deserves. I think we’re moving in the right direction.
"I think there’s a lot more room for growth, but it’s baby steps and there’s nowhere to go but up."
GOING OUT WITH MAXFLI
Thompson's final full-time season saw a change in golf balls, as she worked for months with Maxfli, a golf ball brand that has been around a course since 1922, to choose a ball she would use throughout the year.
Thompson discussed the "honor" it was to get the call from Maxfli to join their team.
"I switched to Maxfli at the beginning of the season," she said. "They came to me at the end of the last season, so I was super excited. A very historic golf brand that a lot of top names in the golfing industry have used Maxfli golf balls. So, I was honored to have them reach out to me. Being able to represent them and their goals in the golf industry really align with mine."
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