Lexi Thompson to retire at end of 2024 season

LPGA star Lexi Thompson is retiring from professional golf at the end of the 2024 season, she announced Tuesday.

Thompson, who's only 29 years old, is set to make her 18th straight start at this week's U.S. Women's Open. She was visibly emotional during her retirement press conference.

"We're doing what we love, we're trying the best every single day," Thompson explained about the difficult parts of being a professional athlete. "We're not perfect, we're humans. Words hurt, and it's hard to overcome sometimes."

Thompson has been in the spotlight since bursting onto the golf scene in 2007 as a 12-year-old phenom when she became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open (a record broken by Lucy Li two years later). Thompson recorded her first win in 2011 as a 16-year-old at the Navistar LPGA Classic, making her then the youngest victor in LPGA history.

Thompson won the 2014 Chevron Championship (then known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) for her lone major title and claimed a total of 11 victories during her 14 years on the LPGA circuit. She also won twice on the Ladies European Tour and once on the LPGA of Japan Tour.

Internationally, the Coral Springs, Florida, native was part of six Solheim Cup teams, and her combined 4-0-4 records in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments pitched into the United States' victory. She also helped the Americans win the International Crown in 2016.

However, Thompson's game has declined in recent years. She hasn't won on the LPGA Tour since 2019 and is currently ranked 54th in the world.

In Thompson's prime, she was renowned for her power off the tee, finishing in the top five in average driving distance on the LPGA Tour for nine consecutive years from 2012-20. Thompson peaked as the World No. 3 at the height of her powers in 2016.