‘Locked Myself In the Room’: Lexi Thompson on How Cheating Claims Left Her Mentally & Emotionally Drained
It was the 2017 ANA Inspiration. A win was in the cards for a dominant Lexi Thompson who cruised past her competitors with a third-round score of 5-under 67. However, come the final round when just six holes were remaining, officials informed the athlete of two fouls she made the previous day. The result? A two-stroke penalty for each foul which subsequently cost her the major title along with allegations of her being a cheater, both of which affected her mentally.
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“I think I locked myself in the room after it happened,” confessed Thompson in an interview with Jessica Marksbury of GOLF.com while recounting the event, “I cried the whole night. I didn’t want anybody near me.” Unfortunately, the penalty had caused her three-stroke lead to be reduced to a one-shot deficit with just six holes left for the final day’s play to end. Although she did tie with Ryu So-Yeon for first place, the American lost to the South Korean athlete in a playoff.
via Reuters
The pro then admitted how it felt while recalling the gruesome moment. “It was like my dream was just ripped right from my hands,” said the golfer, “because that was a tournament I always imagined I would win.” Had she won the event, then it would have been her second major title as well as her second win in the same major. Interestingly, Thompson had won the same back in 2014 when it was called the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
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Do you think Lexi Thompson was unfairly targeted with cheating claims in 2017?
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Lexi Thompson’s resilience after cheating claims—does she deserve more respect for her mental toughness?
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Do you think Brian Harman deserved his President’s Cup pick over other PGA Tour champs?
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But that wasn’t all that transpired over the day and the next few days. For the 29-year-old was dubbed a cheater for placing a marked ball in an incorrect place and for signing her scorecard incorrectly. Seven years down the lane and even now, she fails to understand why it all happened to her; “To have that taken away for something that I didn’t even realize [I did], that I would never do, and then to be called a cheater and a choker for all these incidents, I’m like, Why do I deserve this?”
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“Nobody deserves it,” added the 1-time major champ as she doubled down on what happened that year. “I’m out here busting my b*tt, trying to win these tournaments and come out on the top, with all the training and practicing I’ve done,” said the pro while pointing out how disheartening it is to not be able to come down with a win and be called a choker and a cheater. But then again, curiosity naturally arises as to what actually happened!
Lexi Thompson’s unfortunate loss at the 2017 ANA Inspiration
After the Sunday Round teed off, the LPGA Tour received an email from a viewer who accused Thompson of improperly replacing her ball. The incident occurred prior to her putting the ball on the 17th hole during the third round of the major championship. Consequently, the claim made by the fan was quickly investigated by the officials only to determine the athlete as guilty of violating Rule 20-7c (Playing From the Wrong Place) and Rule 6-6d for returning an incorrect scorecard.
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What’s your perspective on:
Lexi Thompson’s resilience after cheating claims—does she deserve more respect for her mental toughness?
Have an interesting take?
Debate
“Oh my God. This is ridiculous. Is this a joke?” questioned a bewildered Lexi Thompson as she was informed of the same. Not just her but many other golfers and celebrities including the likes of Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake also expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision that ultimately cost her the title of champion at the major event.
Although the rule was changed thereafter mentioning how the golfers would not be penalized for minor infarctions, the damage was already done. And Lexi Thompson had already lost her second major title, one that she would remember till the end!
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Written by
Allan Abe
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Allan Abe is a Senior Golf Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master’s Degree in English, he has covered many themes in golf as a beat writer, with in-depth coverage of instances of many golfers’ lives, like Bubba Watson and Adam Scott. Allan particularly excels at live coverage and a hole-to-hole analysis of events.
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