LANCASTER, Pa. — Lexi Thompson stood off to the side of the ninth green after hitting what could be her final stroke — a 3-inch bogey putt — in the U.S. Women’s Open. It was just like any other round until she headed toward the scoring room.
“We’ll miss you, Lexi,” one fan yelled above the applause.
This isn’t the way she wanted to leave — a 78 in the opening round Thursday, four straight bogeys around the turn Friday that doomed any hopes of making the cut and a 75 for a 13-over-par total.
And there was part of her that wishes she didn’t talk again about her announcement earlier in the week that at age 29, this would be her last year of a full schedule.
Thompson made her Women’s Open debut at age 12 in 2007 at Pine Needles. That led to one question about what she would tell her 12-year-old self.
“I would say probably just enjoy life,” she said as emotion started to creep into her voice. “Just be grateful for everything that you have in your life. Enjoy every experience that you get to make just being out here.”
Moments later, she stopped in the middle of a sentence as her voice choked, turned to the moderator and whispered in a harsh tone, “I knew I shouldn’t have done this.”
She was handed a box of tissues and fought that off.
“It was…
