Lexi Thompson’s Career Finale Underscores Broader Issues in Women’s Golf Coverage

Lexi Thompson, who began her professional golf career at 15 and has competed for 14 years, concluded her full-time tenure amidst ongoing discussions about the perceived undervaluation of women’s golf, despite a record $4 million first-place prize. The LPGA season culminated in the United States with the CME Group Tour Championship, which saw Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul achieve a remarkable victory. However, the tournament’s broadcast schedule was confined to an early television slot, necessitating a modification of its format. While the initial rounds were played at a two-ball pace, the final round was structured with threesomes, and half of the competitors commenced their play on the back nine. This arrangement resulted in an understated conclusion for Lexi Thompson’s full-time career at 29 years old. Thompson, an 11-time LPGA Tour winner and one of the sport’s most popular figures, completed her final round on the ninth green, rather than the traditional 18th hole. Such occurrences are common when external factors mandate a two-tee start. Thompson’s performance did not place her among the leading players who began their rounds from the first tee. Nevertheless, this situation was widely perceived as a slight, particularly for Thompson and for women’s golf generally. The format alteration, which presented the season’s climax less prominently, was implemented to facilitate an early conclusion. This was done to enable American networks to transition their coverage to men’s PGA Tour events. “Bummed I won’t be able to embrace all the incredible fans on 18 as I finish, hopefully some will be out there on 9,” Thompson communicated to her social media followers after ranking 30th following the third round at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida. She added, “Pretty sad when you’re at –4 in the season-ending event, which could easily be the last CME of your career, and you won’t even finish on 18 because they decide to double tee on the final day due to TV coverage window.” This occasion was widely considered to be an opportunity to commemorate one of the most notable careers in LPGA history, with Thompson’s departure meriting extensive media attention. Although she secured only one major victory, at the event now recognized as the Chevron Championship a decade prior, she consistently featured on prominent leaderboards, achieving runner-up status four times and accumulating 13 top-5 major finishes. Thompson had already established her place in golfing history well before her sole major triumph at Mission Hills in 2014. In 2007, at the age of 12, she became the youngest participant to qualify for the US Open. She subsequently qualified for this major event in the following two years, and at 14, she completed all four rounds, finishing tied for 34th place. Just one year later, upon turning professional, Thompson achieved a runner-up finish at the Evian Championship during her first summer as a paid golfer. Her career consistently generated global news. Before her 17th birthday, Thompson secured her first victory in Dubai, becoming the youngest professional winner on the Ladies European Tour. Throughout her career, she has been a significant draw. Tournament promotional materials frequently featured her image, and she is among the limited number of female players to consistently grace the covers of golf magazines. While other careers may have achieved greater success, Thompson consistently proved to be a major draw for audiences. At her peak, she was a formidable competitor. However, she also exhibited vulnerabilities, with major titles eluding her due to challenges with her short game, aspects that contributed to her compelling persona. Notably, in 2017, a television viewer observed her incorrectly replacing her ball on the green during the latter part of her third round at the ANA Inspiration. This infraction was only brought to attention on the final day of the tournament. This resulted in a two-shot penalty, which was doubled because she had unknowingly signed an incorrect score card for the third round. Her dominant position in the major was consequently nullified, and she ultimately lost in a play-off to Ryu So-yeun. Thompson was a consistent presence in seven Solheim Cups, contributing to the winning team three times, including this year’s event in Virginia. Her career record of 10 wins and 10 losses across 27 matches underscores the complex nature of her professional journey. While she was sometimes perceived as reserved or irritable with the media, she consistently engaged positively with galleries, fostering connections with her followers both on the course and through online platforms. “I just love watching her. She’s so much more than just a great golfer,” an AIG Women’s Open fan was quoted as saying, observing Thompson attracting the largest first-round galleries at a windswept St Andrews last summer. Although she plans to participate in additional tournaments, last weekend marked the conclusion of Thompson’s full-time career, and it was widely felt that she merited a more celebratory farewell. The lucrative $11 million season-ending tournament, which also saw the full-time careers of US Solheim players Ally Ewing and Marina Alex conclude, arguably deserved more favorable broadcast arrangements from television networks. Terry Duffy, the boss of the title sponsor, who has significantly invested in the event, expressed strong disapproval regarding the decision not to broadcast the third round live. “I think that’s inappropriate for a tournament of this magnitude to be on tape delay,” the CME Group chief executive stated to the Palm Beach Post. He further commented, “If you are going to continue to build women’s sports, you have to give them the same billing as men and stop the nonsense of saying we have to show the men’s tournament because they’re the men.” Thompson dedicated her career to demonstrating that the female aspect of the sport merits appropriate recognition. As affirmed by the individual prepared to invest millions into women’s golf, it evidently still struggles to achieve its full potential in terms of visibility.