Almost a month after Lexi Thompson announced she is to retire from full-time professional golf at the end of the season, it has been confirmed what her final tournament start will be.
The American will compete in the second edition of the Grant Thornton Invitational, a mixed event featuring 16 LPGA Tour players and 16 PGA Tour pros.
For the second year running, Thompson will team up with six-time PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler at the event, which takes place at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida between 13 and 15 December.
At the 2023 event, Thompson made quite the impression on the way to helping her and Fowler to a finish of T6, four shots behind eventual winners Lydia Ko and Jason Day. During the second round of the three-day event, she produced the tournament’s first-ever ace at the par 3 16th, and she’ll be keen to draw her full-time professional career to a close with something similarly memorable in 2024.
Lexi Thompson will team up with Rickie Fowler at the tournament for the second time
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Thompson and Fowler are not the only team to be confirmed for the event. Defending champions Ko and Day are also returning, along with Nelly Korda and Tony Finau, who finished T4 in the inaugural edition.
Following her announcement that she was retiring, Thompson revealed she was “very content” with her decision, and it wasn’t long before fellow LPGA Tour pros paid tribute to her contribution, with 2023 US Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz saying: “I looked up to her.”
Before the 2024 edition of the Major at Lancaster County Club, USGA CEO Mike Whan also praised Thompson, saying: “I’m proud of her” and describing her as “courageous.”
After missing the cut at the Major, Thompson has rediscovered some of her best form, including T2 at the Meijer LPGA Classic and T9 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. After taking a first-round lead at the Sahalee Country Club Major, Thompson offered her latest thoughts on her retirement plans.
She said: “I’m just taking it one day at a time. I made my announcement. I’m very content with it. Golf is a crazy game, so I’m not going to look too far ahead. Just taking it one day at a time and see where it takes me.”
Lydia Ko and Jason Day will also play
(Image credit: Getty Images)
While that seems to leave the door open for a potential resumption of Thompson’s professional career down the line, for now, it appears her second start at the Grant Thornton Invitational will mark the end of one of the most influential careers ever seen in the women’s game.
