BELLEAIR, FLA. | Lexi Thompson has been here before, time and time again. Since her last win on the LPGA Tour at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic, she has racked up 18 top-10 results – nine of which were runner-up finishes – without a win. She leads the Tour in top 10s without a win since 2020.
Sunday, Thompson found herself in the same position once again. In fact, she was exactly where she was last year: Runner-up to Nelly Korda at the Pelican Women’s Championship presented by Raymond James and Konica Minolta. But this year, though it may seem like a cliché, something really did feel different.
“It’s a bit frustrating to be as close (as I have been) and not get as many wins as I would’ve liked,” Thompson admitted after shooting a final-round 66. “That’s golf. That’s what so crazy about this game, you lose more than you win unfortunately. You’re constantly learning, and that’s what I keep telling myself every time I tee it up. If it doesn't go my way, what can I build off? What can I learn? What kind of shot can I backtrack to? I’m constantly learning, and that’s what I’ve been feeding back to, which is positive.”
Despite coming up short, the 11-time LPGA Tour winner is playing some of her cleanest golf. She finished out the Pelican Women’s Championship at 13-under par with an eagle, 15 birdies and just four bogeys. Her driver just got better and better each day and by Sunday, Thompson was averaging 290 yards off the tee and hit 12 of 14 fairways. She needed just 25 putts to get through her final round. The key? Thompson is playing free, without expectations.
“Golf is such a mental game that I think my mindset right now is just ‘it is what it is,’” Thompson explained. “I mean, I’ve been putting in the hours and the hard work, and if it doesn’t show out when I’m playing, there is nothing I can do about it. I know I put in the time and the dedication in the gym and on the golf course. It’s a matter of just coming out here, believing in that and letting it go. I can’t force it. I put in the work, so forcing things never gets me anywhere.”
There’s a lot to be proud of on Thompson’s scorecard. But for her, it’s not just about the red numbers – it’s about her failures too. Of all the amazing things she did this weekend at Pelican Golf Club, she’s most proud of the way she was able to battle back and keep chasing the lead in the final round with birdies on holes 13 and 14 after consecutive bogeys on 11 and 12.
“I think in previous years if that would’ve happened, I would’ve let it get to me,” Thompson said. “Even after hitting it in the water (on 12) I could have let that get to me. I was like, ‘All right, snap out of it. Yeah, you’re not happy right now, but getting even more upset isn’t going to do me any good. Let’s get the bogey, bounce back with a few birdies coming in and see where that goes.’”
Teeing off on 18, Thompson was just one shot back of Korda and needed to birdie that hole to force a playoff. Her approach shot missed the green wide right, just 6 feet away from the ropes, and nearly rolled down the bank into the water. If she was frustrated by the setback, she didn’t show it. She approached the shot with remarkable poise and chipped it onto the green, just a few feet from the hole and easily sank the putt to save par.
No matter the obstacle, Thompson has certainly proved that she can bounce back from anything. One more runner up under her belt is nothing, especially heading into the CME Group Tour Championship, a home game of sorts for the Fort Lauderdale resident.
“I’m definitely looking forward to next week,” Thompson said with a smile. “Kind of a hometown event. I’ll have a lot of family and friends out there supporting me, which I absolutely love. I’ll go home for a night, spend a night my bed, and drive over tomorrow afternoon and get some practice in. I’m looking forward to playing another amazing golf course.”
There’s no doubt that Thompson will make her way back into the winner’s circle, it’s just a matter of when. And with so many close calls, she’s only getting closer and closer to that moment
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