The LPGA Tour is currently hosting its fourth major of the year, the Amundi Evian Championship, but Lexi Thompson has opted not to participate.
This decision may not surprise many, as Thompson had criticized the Evian Resort back in 2019 after missing the cut, and she hasn’t returned since then.
At the U.S. Women’s Open, Thompson mentioned that this year would likely be her last playing a full schedule, although she hasn’t clarified exactly what that entails. Since making that statement, she has achieved three top-10 finishes.
It’s unusual for a player to skip a major tournament, but Thompson is not the first nor the most prominent player to do so. For instance, in 1999, Annika Sorenstam, a two-time U.S. Women’s Open champion at the time, opted out of the du Maurier Classic due to fatigue after receiving appearance fees from two overseas events.
Another example is Kenny Perry, who was ranked 20th in the world and had a successful season in 2008. Despite winning the Memorial and Buick Open, Perry chose to skip the British Open at Royal Birkdale to honor prior commitments, including the Greater Milwaukee Open held the same week. His spot on the Ryder Cup team was already secured by then.
Thompson recently competed in the Meijer LPGA Classic, where she lost in a playoff to Lilia Vu, and she was also in contention at the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee until a difficult front nine on Sunday.
Reflecting on her 2019 experience at Evian, Thompson expressed gratitude on Instagram for not having to endure another two days after missing the cut, citing frustrations with the course despite its beauty.
