When Lexi Thompson stepped away from full-time professional golf, she thought it would help her game. The immense pressure and burnout had taken their toll, and she took space to reset. “I’m just trying to find my love for the game again,” she had told Fox News Digital. But the string of underwhelming performances this season suggests the move may have backfired.

At the 2025 CPKC Women’s Canadian Open, she missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 74, leaving her tied for 140th. Now, days after her disqualification, Lexi Thompson finally broke her silence. Posting a picture of herself with her little fans on her Instagram story, Thompson thanked the event for the week. “Thank you to all the sponsors, fans and volunteers this week at the @cpkcwomensopen for making this week always great.” A classic Thompson reaction.

Although there wasn’t a mention of her game in the Tournament, her heartwarming response to the Tournament official’s job, nevertheless, speaks volumes. Being positive, regardless of the outcome, has been a part of Lexi Thompson’s character ever since the beginning.

Thompson, attitude of being grateful despite not being able to convert any wins is proof of her resilience. Earlier in the season, after a disappointing showing in the US Women’s Open (she missed the cut), Thompson admitted her game wasn’t where it needed to be despite the hard work she had put in. But she made it clear that didn’t stop her from fighting through. In the end, she again thanked the officials of the tournament. “I just want to say a few things, first big thank you to the @usga, the volunteers, and fans this week for making the week possible!” This response came after several criticisms from the golf fraternity over her pace of play.

Even at the KPMG Women’s Open PGA Championship, where she struggled in the first round due to the challenging conditions, she kept outweighing the positives more than the negatives. “It was fun with the fans, it was overall an amazing week, we were treated so well, the golf course was in great shape, it was just mentally draining because it’s a tough golf course.” So yeah, her reaction after her performance at the CPKC Canadian Women’s Open was expected. But at the same time, her poor performance might have raised several eyebrows.

It all has to do with her decision to skip multiple marquee events. Thompson had already announced she would limit her schedule to just 10 tournaments this season, so her absence from certain stops was expected. But the choices of which events to miss were interesting. Skipping the Amundi Evian Championship didn’t come as a surprise, as she hasn’t teed it up there in five years. What did shock many, though, was her decision to sit out the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, an event she hasn’t missed in seven years. She also passed on the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, a key tune-up for links golf and a traditional lead-in to the Open.

So, was this the reason for Thompson’s underwhelming performance at the CPKC Women’s Open? Well, that remains debatable, as she did make the cuts in six of the nine tournaments she competed in. These include a 2nd place finish at the Dow Championship, after which she took a six-week break. And if you compare the numbers, her 2024 season looked stronger on paper, with 12 cuts made in 18 starts.

“Unfortunately in golf, you lose more than you win, so it’s an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it,” she said in a press conference in 2024.

Lexi Thompson made history when she qualified for the US Women’s Open at the age of 12 in 2007, writing history as the youngest person to ever do so. A two-time Olympian, she has earned over $15 million. Having played nine of the ten events on her schedule, all eyes will be on which tournament she picks as her final stop.

Where could Lexi Thompson tee it up next?

With just one event left on her reduced 2025 schedule, Lexi Thompson’s next move is anyone’s guess. Looking at her past appearances, a few tournaments stand out as strong possibilities.

The Kroger Queen City Championship could be in play, given Thompson’s history there. In 2023, she logged a season-best T19 finish and has often spoken about how comfortable the course feels for her game. Similarly, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is another event where she’s excelled before. Thompson tied for 3rd back in 2018 and was in contention in 2023 with an 11-under stretch that left her just two shots off the lead.

On the international front, events like Buick LPGA Shanghai, BMW Ladies Championship, and Maybank Championship remain less likely. Thompson has typically avoided extensive travel late in the year, especially with her scaled-back schedule. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, however, is a different story – she’s competed in it before and even helped Team USA finish 3rd in 2023.

Closer to home, the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican looks like a strong candidate; the Florida venue has been one of her best stops in recent years, with back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022 and a T7 in 2023. Finally, there’s the CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season finale. Thompson would need to qualify based on her Race to the CME Globe ranking, but if she makes it, the event holds plenty of appeal. She won it in 2018, contended in 2020, and even in 2024 managed to close her full-time career there with a T49 finish. Currently, she is placed at 46th with 564.629 points.