Thompson to retire from golf at season end

American golfer Lexi Thompson announced on Tuesday that she will retire from the LPGA tour at the end of the 2024 season.

Thompson, 29, is an 11-time LPGA tour winner, a major champion, a two-time Olympian and a six-time US Solheim Cup team member.

One of one. 🌟

Lexi Thompson has announced she will be retiring at the end of the 2024 LPGA Tour season. pic.twitter.com/TctyYr5xy2

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 28, 2024

"While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time. At the end of 2024, I will be stepping away from a full professional golf schedule," said Thompson on social media.

"I will always look for ways to contribute to the sport and inspire the next generation of golfers. And of course, I look forward to a little time for myself."

The announcement comes just days before the start of the US Women's Open, in which Thompson will compete for the 18th consecutive year.

A name synonymous with the sport 👏

Since she burst onto the scene as a teenager, @Lexi has been a champion of the game ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/cZHedu2jxY

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 28, 2024

The Florida native turned professional in 2010 at the tender age of 15 and one year later won the Dubai Ladies Masters Championship on the Ladies European Tour (LET), becoming the youngest professional to win on the tour.

Perhaps the crowning moment of her career came in 2014 when she won her only major, the Chevron Championship (then named the Kraft Nabisco Championship).

LPGA tour commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan paid tribute to her: "Lexi's impact extends far beyond the golf course... (her) remarkable career and the way she has conducted herself both on and off the course have inspired countless girls around the world to pursue their goals with passion and perseverance."

“It is with immense pride and gratitude that we celebrate Lexi’s extraordinary career. With 11 LPGA Tour wins, including a major championship at The Chevron Championship and a victory at the CME Group Tour Championship, Lexi has built an impressive legacy of on-course… pic.twitter.com/Yc0dXmGGVZ

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 28, 2024