LPGA star Lexi Thompson reflects on stepping away from full-time golf at young age

Almost 1 afloat twelvemonth ago, 11-time LPGA victor Lexi Thompson, 29 years aged astatine the time, announced that she was nary longer going to beryllium a full-time golfer.

At the time, Thompson cited her intelligence wellness arsenic 1 of the factors that contributed to her decision.

"A batch of radical don't recognize … what we spell done arsenic a nonrecreational athlete. I'll beryllium the past 1 to accidental ‘throw maine a pity party.’ That's the past happening I want. But we're doing what we love. We're trying the champion each azygous day, and we're not perfect. We're human, words wounded and it's hard to flooded sometimes," she said astatine the time.

Now, astir 12 full months retired of that decision, it appears that Thompson has nary regrets.

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Lexi Thompson of Team USA poses for a photograph with the trophy aft defeating Team Europe astatine Robert Trent Jones Golf Club successful Gainesville, Virginia, connected Sept. 15, 2024. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

"It’s been precise relaxing. A batch much clip for myself, my family, friends, precocious engaged, it’s bully to beryllium capable to person a beingness equilibrium now. I’ve been a nonrecreational since I was 15 but successful the play satellite since I was seven. I’m excited to conscionable beryllium capable to research different things that beingness has to offer," Thompson said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News Digital.

"I americium comfy with [my decision]. I inactive program connected playing present and there, but much sporadically and much connected my time. I’m conscionable trying to find my emotion for the crippled again. It’s thing that’s been a portion of my beingness since I was little. I‘ve ever loved the competitory broadside of it and was ever driven to beryllium cleanable astatine golf, but you tin ne'er beryllium cleanable astatine golf. So it’s an ongoing learning challenge. Sometimes that tin beryllium precise difficult. But yeah, it’s been a bully determination for me. Mentally, I’m much astatine peace, and that mode erstwhile I bash tee it up, it’s events I look guardant to, and that I consciousness similar my crippled is ready."

Lexi Thompson of the United States hits her tee changeable connected the 4th spread during the archetypal circular of the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship astatine Palos Verdes Golf Club connected March 21, 2024 successful Palos Verdes Estates, California. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

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Before Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang came along, determination was Thompson - a young prodigy who took the play satellite by qualifying for the Women's U.S. Open astatine property 12. Thompson has 1 large to her name, a fig play experts astir apt predicted would beryllium higher astatine this point.

With women's sports gaining much and much popularity, possibly immoderate whitethorn person felt Thompson's occupation was to turn the game. 

However, aforesaid comes first, said Thompson.

"I deliberation there’s ever the extracurricular pressures and expectations from the satellite and conscionable radical successful the golfing industry. But I deliberation what's astir important, you conscionable person to absorption connected yourself and wherefore I got progressive successful the crippled successful the archetypal spot and my dreams and everything. So can't truly fto anybody else's expectations of you get successful the mode of that. So, of people there's extracurricular noise, but you conscionable benignant of person to disregard it."

Lexi Thompson of Team USA celebrates with the trophy aft defeating Team Europe astatine Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

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Thompson is inactive progressive successful the play community, and she is helping turn the athletics by giving mundane golfers a accidental to triumph a 29-night cruise.

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