If you’re a regular attendee at LPGA Tour events, you’ve seen him around, although you might not know his name. But if you only watch on television, there’s a good chance you’ve never seen Scott Thompson and wouldn’t recognize him if he patted you on the back.
That’s exactly how this father of three professional golfers wants it. Whether it’s Nicholas or Curtis (his sons, both Korn Ferry Tour players) or his youngest child and only daughter, 26-year-old, 11-time LPGA Tour winner and major champion Lexi, Scott is the guy in the background – a coach when asked; a counselor when needed; a security guard when the situation demands it and, above all, a father who wants only the best for his kids.
“Our relationship has always been close,” Lexi said from Michigan where she competed in the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. “From the time I was young, he’s always been focused on what’s best for me and my brothers, not just in golf but in everything. My dad has been there for us as support when we’ve needed it; encouragement when we’ve needed it; help when we’ve needed it. He’s been my coach forever. But more than that, sometimes he’s just there to give you a hug. That’s so important.”
If you know what to look for, you’ve seen Scott Thompson in all those roles. Middle-aged and mustachioed, usually in a dark cap and glasses and always understated, this tour dad can sometimes be found standing behind Lexi on Tour driving ranges. But he couldn’t care less if you see him. At the U.S. Women’s Open he was close, offering a tip or two in so few words that they would have been easy to miss. The next week at Lake Merced Golf Club, just a few miles away from The Olympic Club where Lexi had a disappointing final nine holes to finish a shot out of the playoff with Yuka Saso and Nasa Hataoka, Scott was outside the ropes, a traffic cop for media and fans who wanted to ask questions or offer support.
At the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, the first event of the year, he stayed off the range and out of site in the gallery. Lexi’s next two events after that, the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona and the Drive On Championship presented by Volvik, Scott stood five feet behind her and was always nearby.
“Last week (at the Mediheal Championship), he was supposed to go home,” Lexi said of her dad. “But he stayed to make sure I was okay (after the near-miss at the U.S. Women’s Open). That’s what he does. It’s always about our well-being.
“The thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is that he never wants to be in the spotlight. It’s not about him. It never has been.”
The LPGA Tour is full of fathers who love their daughters and want nothing but the best. And to a man, they will tell you that their biggest fear is messing something up, saying the wrong thing, being in the wrong place, becoming a distraction. Scott Thompson is no different. Ask him and he’ll admit to plenty of mistakes, all made in the quest to do right by his family.
“There have been times when we haven’t always seen eye to eye on things,” Lexi said. “We’ve had our ups and downs. That’s true to any parent and child. But I think I’ve always known that he only wants what’s best for his kids. And that’s the greatest thing he can be as a dad. Sometimes he’ll be out (on Tour) with me and then immediately go to be with my brother. Then he’ll run home and mow the grass before starting all over again.”
Never once has Scott rushed the green after one of his daughter’s wins. He wants her to receive all the accolades. But when she needs a hug, he’s always the first in line.
“I think we’re better friends now than we’ve ever been,” Lexi said. “That has really happened in the last year. Now that I’ve gotten a little older, I understand the sacrifices that he’s made and all the ways he’s tried to help without being in the limelight himself. When I’ve needed to hear other voices, he’s always encouraged that. I’ve had other people look at my swing and talk to me about golf. Everybody needs to hear different opinions and philosophies at times. My dad not only understands that, he’s been the first person to step aside and let that happen.
“But he knows me better than anyone, not just my golf swing but me. And he knows what to say. At the (U.S. Women’s) Open, I wasn’t hitting it great early in the week and he said, ‘Try getting a little shorter.’ That’s all it took. I knew exactly what he meant. And I immediately started striping it.”
Throughout the rest of this year and perhaps years to come, you will see Scott Thompson when he’s needed, not because he wants you to, but because he will always be there for his daughter. But when Lexi doesn’t need him, he’ll be almost impossible to find. As it should be. Happy Father’s Day to all.
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