On Tuesday at the U.S. Women’s Open as with most days, the crowd stared at Lexi Thompson.
And on Tuesday as with most days, Lexi stared right back.
“Lexi! LEXI!!!” they yelled, one after the next, a never-ending stream of souvenir flags and selfie requests testing the limits of the ropeline, little arms poking through like little bayonets, each pointed square at Thompson’s chest. Every autograph signed and photo taken spawned another three, and before long the crowd began to feel less like a group of individuals and more like a steadily growing, amorphous blob of wanting. But it did not matter. For a few moments, Lexi wanted, too — not the crowd’s attention or admiration, but to break the bubble between her world and theirs.
And so she did.
If there is one thing that will be remembered about Thompson by the crowds, it is her remarkable level of patience.
This quality has enabled her to conduct numerous autograph sessions over the course of her 17-year career, which she recently announced will be coming to an end after this season.
Her patience has also allowed her to form connections with countless individuals outside of the golf course, many of them being young women, through simple acts of kindness.
Additionally, her patience has enabled her to continue these efforts despite experiencing some of the lowest points in the world of golf, which she spoke about for the first time during a press conference announcing her retirement from the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday.
“Being out here can be a lot,” she said through tears. “It can be lonely. Sorry if I get emotional. I said I wasn’t going to.”
I can still recall the first instance when I saw Lexi’s exceptional patience during the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles.
This happened right after Thompson’s disappointing finish at T20 and she spent nearly 30 minutes signing autographs, making sure to interact with all the young girls in the child-only area, despite having tears in her eyes.
The most recent memory I have of witnessing her patience was at the Solheim Cup in Spain last September. Once again, she faced a heartbreaking loss, shed tears, but still took the time to sign autographs and bring smiles to dozens of young girls.
The scenes were memorable back then, and this one on Tuesday morning was also noteworthy, as Thompson was revealing her retirement from a full-time playing schedule.
In professional golf terms, she is still young at 29 years old, as many players peak in their 30s.
However, she has had a long career of 17 years, which has brought her both wealth and heartbreak.
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