Golf has always had its icons, but few have carried the weight of a generation quite like Lexi Thompson. For over a decade, she’s been a fixture on leaderboards, a fan favorite, and a symbol of grit on the LPGA Tour—turning pro at just 15 and growing up in the spotlight. So when a name like hers vanishes from a major championship lineup, it doesn’t go unnoticed. This year, her absence from the AIG Women’s Open felt even louder, the first in 7 years! It wasn’t injury, bad play, or retirement that kept her away. Thompson just needed a break, something more athletes are doing to take care of their mental health.

The AIG Women’s Open is the final major of the season. It’s where legacies are built and careers can be defined. Lexi Thompson has been a regular presence at this event for over a decade. Her decision to skip it for the first time in seven years leaves a noticeable void, especially at a time when the women’s game is reaching new heights in visibility and competitiveness.

Thompson recently posted on Instagram, “Yes, I’m still golfing 😜 due to some personal reasons, I decided to take a good amount of time off. But I am still practicing for when I play next ☺️.” While short on details, the message confirmed what many had suspected—her break was intentional and rooted in personal needs, not professional setbacks. This aligns with her growing openness about mental health and emotional fatigue, something she’s addressed candidly over the years. From the burnout that led to her 2018 hiatus to her emotional comments at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, Thompson has made it clear that the pressures of life on tour can be just as draining as the competition itself. Her latest pause, then, isn’t about stepping away from the sport entirely—it’s about stepping back on her terms.

While Lexi Thompson may have stepped back from a full-time schedule in 2025, her season has been anything but quiet. She’s already teed it up in multiple events. In fact, she finished T14 at the Chevron and T12 at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Lexi Thompson Isn’t Just Playing Golf; She’s Changing the Conversation

Speaking at the Cone Health-sponsored Executive Women’s Day during the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC, she shared that “Everybody has their struggles and battles, and it’s OK to not be OK!”—a message that resonated with young athletes and industry professionals alike.

This wasn’t a sudden stance. Thompson’s openness about emotional wellness dates back to her 2018 sabbatical, when she withdrew from the Women’s British Open. At just 23, she admitted she had reached a breaking point. “You can only stay strong for so long and hide it,” she said at the time.

Alongside that mental toll were personal hardships, her mother’s battle with uterine cancer, and the highly publicized 4-stroke penalty at the 2017 ANA Inspiration, which cost her a major title and shook her confidence.

Younger players like Olivia Mehaffey and Annie Park have also cited the need for mental health breaks, an example of how Thompson’s honesty may be paving the way for more open conversations in women’s golf.

With 11 LPGA titles, 1 major, and countless Sunday battles, Thompson’s legacy is now equally defined by her courage off the course and the message that protecting your mental health is its own kind of win.