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THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Is semi-retirement the key to Lexi Thompson winning another major? The 30-year-old finds herself in prime position to make a run on Sunday at the Chevron Championship. She’s chasing, which certainly takes some pressure off, especially given that she won’t be in the final group. And she has brother Curtis on the bag, which means there will be plenty of jokes.
“He's just a riot,” said Thompson. “He's the personality of the family.”
Thompson began the day at The Club at Carlton Woods with two bogeys, but managed to stay positive thanks in large part to having Curtis by her side. Patience has been key.
“Like today, with the start, I could have let it just kind of crumble,” she said, “and I stayed patient and positive.”
Thompson, who won this event in 2014 when it was held at Mission Hills Country Club in California and suffered major heartbreak there three years later, carded six birdies in a third-round 70 that didn’t see many low scores around the Nicklaus Course. The best round of the day belonged to South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, who shot 4-under 68 to take a share of the lead at 9 under with Mao Saigo (69) of Japan.
The top five players on the leaderboard have never won a major. Three – Lindy Duncan, Sarah Schmelzel and Yan Liu – have never won an LPGA tournament. That certainly opens the door for more experienced winners like Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn and Thompson, who all hold a share of sixth at 6 under.
Ryu, a two-time winner on the LPGA who was named Louis Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2023, said she’s learned to appreciate the importance of staying calm and moving slowly when in these positions.
When asked about the pressure she feels to win her first major, Ryu said it’s both external and internal.
“I think that's a good pressure for me,” she said.
As for Thompson, she said the pressure to win – something she hasn’t done on the LPGA since 2019 –feels different now that she’s a part-time player. At last summer's U.S. Women's Open, Thompson announced that 2024 would be her last full season on tour. She plans to compete in three majors this season.
“It's hard to describe,” she said, “because still, every time I tee it up, there's that adrenaline rush of wanting to play well and those nerves and I think everybody kind of has that just wanting to play well and showing their hard work can pay off.
“But with me making the announcement knowing that I'm not going to play as much, I'm coming out here, if I play well, that's great; if I don't, it's just you move on and you go to the next one.
“I know I'm just going to play less and less.”
This could be her last best chance.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Semi-retired Lexi Thompson in position to make run at Chevron title
Continue reading...
“He's just a riot,” said Thompson. “He's the personality of the family.”
Thompson began the day at The Club at Carlton Woods with two bogeys, but managed to stay positive thanks in large part to having Curtis by her side. Patience has been key.
“Like today, with the start, I could have let it just kind of crumble,” she said, “and I stayed patient and positive.”
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Thompson, who won this event in 2014 when it was held at Mission Hills Country Club in California and suffered major heartbreak there three years later, carded six birdies in a third-round 70 that didn’t see many low scores around the Nicklaus Course. The best round of the day belonged to South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, who shot 4-under 68 to take a share of the lead at 9 under with Mao Saigo (69) of Japan.
The top five players on the leaderboard have never won a major. Three – Lindy Duncan, Sarah Schmelzel and Yan Liu – have never won an LPGA tournament. That certainly opens the door for more experienced winners like Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn and Thompson, who all hold a share of sixth at 6 under.
Ryu, a two-time winner on the LPGA who was named Louis Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2023, said she’s learned to appreciate the importance of staying calm and moving slowly when in these positions.
When asked about the pressure she feels to win her first major, Ryu said it’s both external and internal.
“I think that's a good pressure for me,” she said.
As for Thompson, she said the pressure to win – something she hasn’t done on the LPGA since 2019 –feels different now that she’s a part-time player. At last summer's U.S. Women's Open, Thompson announced that 2024 would be her last full season on tour. She plans to compete in three majors this season.
“It's hard to describe,” she said, “because still, every time I tee it up, there's that adrenaline rush of wanting to play well and those nerves and I think everybody kind of has that just wanting to play well and showing their hard work can pay off.
“But with me making the announcement knowing that I'm not going to play as much, I'm coming out here, if I play well, that's great; if I don't, it's just you move on and you go to the next one.
“I know I'm just going to play less and less.”
This could be her last best chance.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Semi-retired Lexi Thompson in position to make run at Chevron title
Continue reading...
