Friday afternoon at Highland Meadows will be all about Lexi Thompson, as the Dana Open pays homage to one of the LPGA Tour’s most popular players who doubles as a global ambassador for the game of golf.
To celebrate the tournament’s 40th anniversary and in appreciation of Thompson, two F-16s from the Ohio Air National Guard 180th Fighter Wing at Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport will fly over the Sylvania golf course for her 1:02 p.m. tee time. Five hundred Puma hats emblazoned with “LEXI” in pink will be given away, as well as buttons with an image of Thompson and the words “Thank You Lexi.”
No one knows if it will be her final trip to Highland Meadows — not even Thompson. But when she announced at the U.S. Women’s Open that 2024 would be her final full season on tour, it set off an outpouring of affection from the golf world that will follow Thompson from tournament to tournament the rest of the year.
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“It’s meant the world to me,” Thompson said. “I’ve gotten nothing but 100 percent support and just love out on the golf course. I didn’t really know what to expect with the announcement, but I love my fans. So just to feel the extra support from them and from my family and my friends, it’s got me through stressful times, and it’s made me feel really good out here.”
Linn Grant drives her tee into the ground on the no. 2 tee box during the final round of the Dana Open at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania on Sunday, July 16, 2023.
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It’s a meaningful week for Dana Open tournament director Judd Silverman, who has shepherded the event all 40 years, turning it into one of the biggest weeks on the northwest Ohio sports calendar while raising nearly $14 million for children’s charities. Thompson’s loyalty and friendship have been just as impactful for Silverman.
If this is her last appearance, Silverman wanted to give Thompson an appropriate send-off.
“Lexi Thompson is an amazing ambassador for the LPGA and the game of golf,” he said. “I’ve witnessed 40 years of LPGA golf, and Lexi’s as good as it gets when dealing with the fans, especially kids, sponsors, and volunteers. Making the effort to connect with these key groups is a top priority for Lexi everywhere she goes.
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“It was a no-brainer for the Dana Open to celebrate Lexi this year for everything she’s done for golf and the LPGA. We’re very excited about ‘Lexi Thompson Day’ on Friday so the community can come out and personally thank her for all the years that she’s played in Toledo.”
Thompson first played in the Marathon Classic in 2013, finishing tied for third and documenting one of the highlights of her 15 years as a professional — a final-round hole-in-one on the par-3 14th hole that won a car.
“It was probably one of the most exciting moments of my career,” she said. “That was one of the first years that they were trying to make it the loudest hole, and to be able to get a hole-in-one and to be able to run up the side of the hole and high-five everybody, it was just such a great feeling. Of course, in the moment, you don’t really know what’s going on. But to hear the excitement from the fans and the support, there’s nothing like it.”
Highland Meadows has become a mainstay on Thompson’s schedule, appearing in the Marathon Classic and Dana Open eight times in 11 years. She has never missed the cut, finishing runner-up twice. Thompson has three top-3 finishes and has placed in the top 20 six times.
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In total, she has earned $459,717 in her eight tournaments.
“I’m pretty close to Judd,” Thompson said. “How the tournament is run, the hospitality that we receive. Judd’s a special person, the way he cares for all the players. He wants his tournament to be successful, but he’s willing to get feedback from players on how to make his tournament better.”
The 29-year-old Thompson has spent most of her life in the public spotlight, admitting that it has been anything but a normal life. She qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open at 12 and has never receded from the public eye. She won her first LPGA tournament when she was 16, then the youngest winner in tour history, and had a major championship by 19.
“Lexi’s impact extends far beyond the golf course,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan posted on X, formerly Twitter. “She embodies the spirit and dedication of our founders — always showing up and engaging intentionally to help further the growth and impact of the LPGA. She is beloved by fans, consistently seen signing autographs and interacting with them no matter the result that day.”
Thompson has won 15 times worldwide, but her near misses in majors have garnered just as much attention.
In 65 career majors, she has finished second four times and third four times, with four additional top fives. Some have included notable heartbreak.
“I think we all have our own [mental health] struggles, especially out here,” Thompson said. “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. So it’s hard. I will say, yes, I’ve struggled with it. I don’t think there’s somebody out here that hasn’t. It’s just a matter of how well you hide it, which is very sad.”
With her life on display in newspapers, magazines, and on social media, not only has Thompson been unable to shield herself, if she retreats from the public, it’s done so alone. She fought back tears at the U.S. Women’s Open detailing the loneliness that comes with the professional athlete lifestyle.
Money doesn’t buy happiness, but success can be fulfilling. And a $262,500 check this week would represent a momentous occasion for Thompson, ending a five-year winless drought. And there’s reason to believe it’s possible — past history is one indicator, as is recent form. Thompson has finished T2, T9, and T8 since the U.S. Women’s Open, her fourth consecutive missed cut.
Perhaps the weight of her announcement has led to a freer swing and mindset. If she makes a charge on Sunday, there’s no doubt who the crowd will pull for.
“It would mean a lot,” Thompson said. “Of course, I step into every tournament wanting to win, whether I’m retiring from a full schedule or not. That’s my No. 1 goal. I’ve been working extremely hard on and off the golf course. I’ve probably worked harder than ever this year just because if it is my last full-time year, I want to play strong and finish strong, to be able to do it in front of all the fans, to do it for myself, knowing that the hard work’s paid off.”
First Published July 13, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
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