Lexi Thompson last missed the U.S. Women’s Open when she was just 11. At 12, she qualified for the tournament at Pine Needles in 2007, with her father Scott as her caddie. She was a young player who seemed out of place but had earned her spot. Nineteen years later, at 31, she has worked hard to keep her streak going.

On Wednesday, Thompson unexpectedly withdrew from a 36-hole qualifier at Wilderness Country Club in Naples, Florida, before playing a single hole. No official reason was given. This puts her streak of 19 straight Women’s Open appearances, which she shares with South Korea’s Amy Yang, at risk for the 81st tournament at Riviera Country Club in June.

To automatically qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, a player must be in the top 75 of the world rankings. Because Thompson is playing less golf these days, her ranking has dropped to 93rd.

“Pine Needles, when I teed it up, that’s when I realized I want to play against the best,” Thompson said before her 18th straight appearance in 2024. That drive kept her competing for two decades, earning a major title, seven Solheim Cups, and even led her to reverse her retirement announcement. Even as she steps back from full-time golf, she could not leave this championship behind.

“Being out here, it can be a lot. It can be lonely.”

She made her position clear at the Lancaster press conference in 2024, and since then, she has kept showing up. At the 2026 Chevron Championship, Thompson delivered a bogey-free 66 in the third round. It was her first clean major round since the final round at the same event in 2022. She finished tied for 12th, with her husband, Max Provost, and her family in the gallery. Her performance was solid, but her ranking still did not reflect it.

There are only two ways left for Thompson to qualify for Riviera. She must either win an LPGA event or move into the top 75 of the Rolex Rankings by May 25. Three tournaments remain before that deadline: the Mizuho Americas Open, the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, and the ShopRite LPGA in Galloway, New Jersey, from May 29 to 31.

That is the last LPGA event before the 81st U.S. Women’s Open begins at Riviera Country Club on June 4. The implications go beyond just the leaderboard.

Lexi Thompson’s 19-Year Women’s Open streak and what Amy Yang’s parallel run tells us

Lexi Thompson has played in 19 straight U.S. Women’s Opens, tying Amy Yang for the longest active streak. While Yang recently won a major to highlight her long career, Thompson is still chasing her first U.S. Women’s Open title. Missing the tournament that started her pro career would be a massive blow.

Moving up the rankings is tough with a limited playing schedule. Players ranked 75th to 94th have played many more events in 2026.

Her easiest path to qualifying is to win an upcoming tournament to get an automatic spot. However, Thompson hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour since 2019. With the May 25 deadline fast approaching, her historic streak has never been this close to ending.