Lexi Thompson was just 12 when she first walked the greens of the U.S. Women’s Open in 2007. Then, 3 years later, at 15, in her very first U.S. Women’s Open as a pro, she walked off the course at Oakmont with a top-10 finish. Over the next decade and a half, she racked up moments at this championship that fans will never forget. She played 19 U.S. Women’s Opens in a row. However, the tradition has come to a halt.

Thompson has now opened up about missing the championship for the first time in almost 2 decades on her Instagram and what this moment is really making her feel.

“It’s hard to believe that in 2007, as a 12-year-old girl with big dreams, I qualified for my first U.S. Women’s Open. At the time, I was just excited to be there. I remember practicing my autograph in the backseat of my parents’ car on the drive up to Pine Needles Resort. For the first time since that week, I won’t be competing for the U.S. Women’s Open,” she wrote. “Definitely not a great feeling, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise. But I have to remind myself that I’ve played in 19 in a row at the age of 30, and I’m very proud of that.”

The U.S. Women’s Open was not just a tournament on her schedule; in many ways, it was a thread running through her entire career. Her debut alone carries a great weight in golf history. She was the youngest player to ever qualify for the event at the time. She missed the cut at that time, but over the years, she made many more memories.

In 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston, she birdied her way through the closing holes to finish just one shot off the title. She did not win that day, but the runner-up finish was an incredible performance.

At The Olympic Club in 2021, she put together a bogey-free 5-under 66 on moving day. She became the first player all week to make par or better on every single hole in the round. She also wiped out a four-shot deficit to take the solo lead. But then on Sunday, she lost her lead and ultimately finished in third place. It was one of the biggest near misses, but it became a part of her story at the event.

“It’s made me reflect on how much this championship has meant to me. Some of my most special memories, biggest challenges, and greatest lessons have come from this event. It has helped me not only shape as a golfer but as a person. Even though I’m still playing on a limited schedule, I realize there are different dreams to focus on in my life anymore. And I’m excited for those phases in my life,” she wrote.

Since a very young age, Thompson displayed a tenacity that was incredible. She grew up in Coral Springs, Florida, and her father had introduced her to the game. By the time she was in sixth grade, Thompson and her parents felt golf was so central to her life that they decided to homeschool her so she could practice for seven hours a day. Her brothers have also had a big impact on her. Nicholas and Curtis were both professional golfers themselves.

Despite a shining list of achievements, her decision to step back did not come out of nowhere. Thompson spoke openly about how lonely true life can be and broke down in tears when asked about the struggles she was most proud of overcoming.

“There are more things to life than a tournament every week and doing the same training every day. I feel like I’m very content with where my life is, and this decision will lead me. I’m just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf.”

Since then, she has played in a limited number of events and has focused on her personal life. She is now married to Max Provost. The two tied the knot on March 8, 2026, at La Casa Toscana, a private Tuscan estate in Southwest Florida.

Thompson has also been a great advocate of taking care of her mental health, and she has also cited reasons to take time away from the limelight and the course. In fact, just this year, she took a big break from social media. Her break came after she returned home from a tournament in Arizona and learned that her grandfather had passed away.

Women’s golf will feel her absence at Riviera this week, but she has left the door open. “Who knows, maybe I’ll be at another one in the future,” she wrote. For everything she gave to the championship and everything it gave back to her in return, that would be a welcome return.

Other LPGA players with Lexi Thompson who will not make it to Riviera.

Thompson is not the only notable name sitting out at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club this week. World number 12, Hae-ran Ryu, will not be on the field as well. She has withdrawn for personal reasons. The Korean star has had three LPGA wins to her name.

Then, the 2018 Women’s British Open champion, Georgia Hall, is also missing the tournament after having her first child. She is targeting a return at Royal Lytham in late July at the AIG Women’s Open, the very course where she claimed her first major title eight years ago.

Sarah Schmelzel, who had played 13 consecutive majors, is also stepping away from the game after she was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis. She has been undergoing surgery for five months now.

Emily Pedersen is also working her way back after breaking a bone in her wrist earlier this year.

So the field at Riviera is still packed with talent, with Nelly Korda arriving as the clear favorite off the back with three wins in 2026, but all the absences will be hard to ignore.