NAPLES — Lexi Thompson found the perfect way to retire.
She still plays golf, though a bit more than she anticipated, she will earn around $750,000 (better than collecting social security and a pension), and she was able to spend way more time planning her wedding.
Not bad for someone who a year ago was ready to become one of Florida’s youngest retirees … ever.
Thompson, now 30, was given flowers, hugs and well wishes in November 2024 on the 18th green of the same Tiberon Golf Club where she has returned to play in the CME Group Tour Championship.
Turns out Thompson was not quite ready for early-bird dinners, bingo or day trips to places like the Morikami Museum with some of her Delray Beach neighbors.
Instead, she has transitioned into a semi-retirement, still showing up at LPGA tournaments, still collecting large paychecks, and still playing quality golf.
“It was a nice balance,” she said about the reduced schedule that gave her more time for a life off the course.
One year after “retiring,” Thompson is back at the LPGA’s season-finale, qualifying in 12 starts. She had two top 10s, including runner-up at the Dow Championship.
“It might have added up to a few more than I wanted to,” Thompson said about the schedule that will end with 14 tournaments, including the Tour Championship and Dec. 12-14 Grant Thornton Invitational, where she will partner with the PGA’s Wyndham Clark in the mixed-team event.
Thompson appears at ease, so much so that consecutive bogeys after missing 4-foot putts to end her first round at the Tour Championship could not put her in a bad mood. Thompson was tied for the early lead with two holes to play. She finished tied for 32nd with a 2-under 70.
Not bad for the only “retiree” in the field.
“It’s not the way I wanted to finish and I’m going to beat myself up a little bit, but it’s golf. It happens,” she said about her first round. “I’m happy with how I overall just stayed in the day and hit it out there.”
Lexi Thompson at a good spot mentally with reduced schedule
Thompson’s gallery at Tiburon included her fiancé Max Provost and dog, Leo, who Lexi has called her “secret weapon.” The Havanese and miniature poodle mix was being pushed around the course in a stroller. Coming off the 13th green during the first round, Lexi rubbed Leo’s head before giving Provost a low five.
The little things that come with a more relaxed lifestyle free of the week-to-week grind when golf is the priority.
And where has that helped most?
“I would say on the mental aspect of things,” she said. “I put myself through a lot with the training and everything. I’m at the point now I just have to give myself grace and kind of slow it down.”
Which means more time to spend with her family, fiancé and four-legged friend.
“It really just helped,” she said. “It helped put my mind at ease.”
Thompson averaged 18 events in the five years previous to 2025. She appears to have found a sweet spot with about a dozen, giving her plenty of time to prepare for her March wedding.
Finishing 52nd in the CME points gets Thompson entry in all LPGA events in 2026, except the Tour Championship. She will be able to pick and choose events from the full LPGA schedule.
The year also will include the Solheim Cup, scheduled for September in the Netherlands. With the exception of the CPKC Women’s Open in Ontario, Canada, all of Thompson’s events this year were in the U.S.
U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford told Golfweek that Thompson “earned the right to always be in consideration” for the team.
But would Thompson, who has played on every U.S. Solheim Cup team since 2013, accept?
Although she evaded the Solheim Cup question, she left no doubt that she is enjoying life as a Florida “retiree” at the ripe old age of 30.
“I think I just learned overall with my life that there is more to life,” she said. “You know, with wedding planning and doing all that, there is more to it than just the game.
“So if I struggle out here I try to just remind myself it’s all right. You’re going to have another day. You know, you’ve done great things out here.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lexi Thompson at 30 is living the perfect retirement life | D’Angelo
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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