Lexi Thompson’s 12th season on the LPGA Tour has taken an unexpected turn, unlike any other in her career. Instead of maintaining her consistent dominance on the tour’s leaderboards, the American golf star finds herself grappling with challenges she has never encountered before as she heads into the AIG Women’s Open. At 28 years old, she faces questions about her ability to secure her spot for her sixth consecutive Solheim Cup team and, even more surprisingly, whether she can maintain full LPGA status.
Thompson candidly admitted her struggles this season, acknowledging that she started with a promising finish in Saudi Arabia but has been off her game since then. She emphasized the need for productive work and perseverance to regain her form. Since her runner-up finish at the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International in mid-February, her year on the LPGA Tour has been characterized by either missing events or struggling to make the weekend when she does compete.
Heading into the Women’s Open, Thompson has participated in only seven events, a career low for her at this stage of the season. Of those tournaments, she has made the cut in just two, and even those were hard-fought. Her T-47 finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship required a late surge of four consecutive birdies over her final five holes just to qualify for the weekend, and her five missed cuts so far match her career high.
Thompson explained her reduced tournament schedule, noting that after 13 years on tour, she now has the freedom to choose when to play and when to take time for herself. She also mentioned dealing with a minor injury but assured everyone that she is fully healthy and committed to returning to her best form.
However, her lack of success has put Thompson in unfamiliar territory, ranking 156th on the LPGA’s CME points list, which determines players’ status for the following season. To put this in perspective, since the introduction of CME points in 2014, she has never finished worse than 34th.
Thompson has a chance to improve her status with strong performances in the remaining events of the season. Finishing in the top 100 of the CME points list provides Category 11 status, while reaching the top 80 offers Category 1 status, the highest available on the LPGA. Making it into the top 60 would secure her a spot in the prestigious CME Group Tour Championship, an event she has participated in since 2011.
The Women’s Open presents a valuable opportunity for Thompson to amass CME points, as it offers 25 percent more points than regular tour events. A strong showing, such as a T-3 finish or better, could propel her into the top 60, while a T-5 or better would secure a top-80 spot, and a T-8 or better would grant her top-100 status. While she doesn’t have to bridge the gap immediately, the season’s end is drawing near, and she is currently entered in only two of the remaining seven full-field events, although she is eligible to compete in all of them.
Thompson’s career earnings on the tour also afford her a one-time option to maintain full LPGA status. The top 20 career earners can play via Category 2, as demonstrated by Cristie Kerr this season.
Another looming deadline for Thompson is the finalization of Team USA’s Solheim Cup roster after the CPKC Women’s Open concludes on August 27. She currently holds the seventh position on the Solheim Points list, the last automatic spot on the team. Despite her slide in the points, her spot appears secure, with only Andrea Lee having a chance to overtake her without winning the upcoming event.
Should Thompson fail to secure the final points position, she still has a chance to make the team based on her Rolex Women’s World Rankings spot, where she currently ranks 20th, ahead of fellow Americans Rose Zhang (32nd) and Angel Yin (34th). In the event of the worst-case scenario, where Thompson does not earn her way onto the team, Team USA Captain Stacy Lewis has the option to use one of her three captain’s picks on her. Thompson, a 12-year LPGA veteran, believes she can bring valuable experience and support to the team, emphasizing the importance of camaraderie and mentorship among players.
Thompson is diligently working on all aspects of her game to regain her form, with a focus on her ball striking, which has notably declined this season. She has hit only 65.3 percent of greens in regulation, ranking 98th on tour, a 10-percent dip from her career average and an 11.9 percent fall from the previous year. Throughout her career, Thompson has consistently ranked within the top 11 on tour in greens in regulation.
As she prepares for the Women’s Open, Thompson acknowledges the importance of the event but refrains from putting undue pressure on herself. She views the Solheim Cup as her favorite event and remains hopeful about her contributions to the team in Spain this year. Thompson recognizes her role as one of the more experienced players on the tour at the age of 28 and hopes to bring strength, determination, and mentorship to the team.
