How is this one different for Lexi Thompson?
For a decade and a half, the LPGA superstar has been in contention heading into the final round of major golf tournaments. She won this championship—then the Kraft Nabisco, now the Chevron—11 years ago. There have been triumphs and heartbreaks on many Sundays since, in regular events and major championships alike.
We didn’t expect to see Thompson here after she announced a year ago that she was stepping back from a full-time LPGA schedule. But that decision seemed to unlock something in her; she finished runner-up weeks after the announcement, logged a top 10 at the KPMG Women’s PGA, and earned a captain’s pick for the winning U.S. Solheim Cup team.
Yet, this year’s ‘retirement’ hasn’t looked as retired as golf fans anticipated. Thompson reappeared at the Founders Cup in February, finishing T13; now she’s played her way into a tie for sixth heading into the final round of the year’s first major, the Chevron Championship.
So, what’s the difference between semi-retired Lexi and full-time Lexi?
‘The biggest difference? More vacations, for sure,’ she said after Friday’s round. ‘And not feeling bad about them. I have much bigger breaks between events than a typical player would, but it’s nice. It’s my 15th year. I think it’s well deserved.’
She’ll get no argument from us.
Thompson clarified after Saturday’s round that there’s still plenty of fire burning within. She worked as hard as ever from Monday to Wednesday before the tournament, she said, and she’s eager to win her second major.
‘Like I’ve told many people, I’m still practising and training a lot when I’m home. It’s just that I have the freedom to take time off when needed,’ she said. ‘Every time I play, I still want to win and have that competitive edge. But it’s nice to have the life balance as well.’
The hard work is paying off. Perhaps the life balance is, too. There seems to be something freeing about publicly acknowledging that golf is now just part of her life, not the entirety.
‘With me announcing that I’m not going to play as much, I’m coming out here, and if I play well, that’s great; if I don’t, you move on to the next one,’ she said.
This manifests in her patience, Thompson said; she started bogey-bogey on Saturday but rallied to shoot an under-par score.
‘Today, with the start, I could have let it crumble, but I stayed patient and positive,’ she said. ‘Curtis [her brother and caddie] was by my side, being positive with me. That was a huge help.’
Here’s what else you need to know heading into Sunday at the Chevron:
THE LEADERS
Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Mao Saigo of Japan are tied for the 54-hole lead at 9 under par. Each is chasing her first major championship. Ryu said she feels pressure from both outside and within.
‘But I think that’s good pressure for me because I don’t have a major trophy at home, so that’s a goal for my life and in golf,’ she said. ‘I want to keep going.’
THE CHASERS
American Lindy Duncan will join Ryu and Saigo in the final group, starting one shot back at 8 under par; her friend Sarah Schmelzel will be in the penultimate group, one shot further back at 7 under.
‘Obviously, the moment is big, but I don’t want to make it bigger than it is, and having that experience under my belt has definitely made this week a little easier,’ Schmelzel said, referencing her contention at the 2024 KPMG.
Yan Liu, Schmelzel, and Thompson will make up the penultimate group. Thompson isn’t alone at 6 under; she’s joined by Ruoning Yin, Carlota Ciganda, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Hye-Jin Choi.
Four more players are at 5 under par, just four shots off the lead.
THE WORLD NO. 1
Nelly Korda made an inspiring Friday rally, surging from 7 over par to 1 over, one inside the cut line. She started strongly on Saturday, shooting three under on her opening nine. But back-to-back doubles at holes 3 and 4 (her 12th and 13th) all but ended her chances of defending her title; she’s at even par heading into Sunday, T31 and nine shots back.
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