LANCASTER, Pennsylvania. Lexi Thompson stood next to the ninth green after sinking what could be her final putt — a 3-inch bogey putt — at the U.S. Women’s Open. It was like any other round until she headed to the scoring room.
“We will miss you, Lexi,” shouted a fan above the applause.
This was not how she wanted to go out – a 78 in the opening round on Thursday, four consecutive bogeys on the turnaround on Friday that doomed any hope of making the cut and a 75 for a 13-over-par total.
And part of her wishes she wouldn’t talk again about her announcement earlier in the week that, at age 29, this would be her last year with a busy schedule.
Thompson made her Women’s Open debut at age 12 in 2007 at Pine Needles. This led to a question about what she would tell her 12-year-old self.
“I would say probably just enjoy life,” she said as emotion began to creep into her voice. “Just be grateful for everything you have in your life. Enjoy every experience you will have just by being here.”
Moments later, she stopped mid-sentence with her voice breaking, turned to the moderator and whispered harshly: “I knew I shouldn’t have done that.”
She was given a box of tissues and fought through it.
“It would be a great week. Just having my family and friends and the amount of fans that were there this week, that’s what we want,” she said. “That’s what we want the game of golf to get wrong. I hope it continues like this in every tournament, whether I’m teeing off or not.”
Even when she said she was pleased with her decision to step aside, it was unclear what Thompson had in mind. She still plans to play the rest of the year. Her biggest hope is to make the seventh Solheim Cup team this fall.
As for the US Women’s Open, barring a stronger performance – Thompson has gone nearly five years without winning – she would not be exempt next year.
The USGA could offer a special exemption, but limited it primarily to previous champions in the last two decades, barring a special achievement, like Rose Zhang a year ago or Michelle Wie in 2006 before joining the LPGA Tour and finishing in the top five in two majors.
“As far as after this year, I have no plans right now,” she said.
But Thompson said she would get home and work hard in her practice session over a three-week period that includes the next major tournament, the KPMG Women’s PGA at Sahalee.
His world ranking fell to 54th.
Asked what she wouldn’t miss about a busy schedule, Thompson smiled and said waking up at 5:30am after finishing at 8:30pm the night before, like what she faced on Friday.
“I’ll miss the competitiveness of just being here and all the friendships I’ve made along the way,” she said. “What I won’t miss is being able to sleep in and not having to run to the golf course for a round of golf and just having that every day of my life.
“It’s good to have a balance,” she said. “But I loved it, every little bit of the way. Those were tougher times than others, but that’s all I know.”
___
AP Golf:
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
