Lexi Thompson announces retirement

Lexi Thompson, who won 11 wins on the LPGA Tour, announced her retirement at the US Women's Open press conference held at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Thompson previously announced at the U.S. Women's Open, the starting point of her golf career, "This year will be my last season." She passed the US Women's Open preliminaries in 2007 when she was 12, becoming the youngest player to participate.

“I have been playing golf since I was five years old with my two older brothers, who are golf players. Golf was my life. I’ve learned so many things along the way,” said Thompson, wiping away tears. Regarding her plans after retirement, Thompson said that she was into fitness right now. “I plan to enjoy life,” she said.

Thompson was America's best female golfer. She started her professional career at the age of 15 and set the record for becoming the youngest player on tour (16 years, seven months, eight days, currently ranked second) at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic. “She was one of golf’s original teenage superstars,” said the LPGA Tour website.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com