If you’re a big fan of professional golf, then you definitely know who Lexi Thompson is — it would be almost impossible not to. At just 23-years-old, Thompson is widely considered to be one of the best female professional golfers out there.
She competed in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, among countless other achievements, and she has broken many milestones. She’s a truly inspiring athlete, especially for women who are interested in the world of golfing, which has long been a male-dominated sport.
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As incredible as Thompson’s career has been, she has had her fair share of tough moments as well.
The year 2018 was particularly hard on Thompson, who went through a lot of emotional and personal changes that affected her and her game. Still, through it all, she has shown a determined commitment to golf that helps make her stand out as such as a fantastic player. Below are some things you may not have known about Thompson.
She made history as the youngest golfer to play professionally
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When Thompson first appeared on the golf scene, she instantly made history. The New York Times reported that, at 12 years old, Thompson became the youngest player to qualify for the United States Women’s Open. At 15-years-old, Thompson became the youngest female golfer to turn professional when she signed an endorsement deal with Cobra-Puma golf.
When she turned 16, Thompson again made history, that time as the youngest winner on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours. At the time, Thompson told the Associated Press (via The Globe and Mail), “It feels amazing. I’m just honored they invited me back and I’m just grateful to be here. I’ve been working on my game really hard and it has paid off.” Thompson won her first major championship at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was 19 years old, and that made her the second youngest LPGA golfer to win a major. It’s definitely impressive to see how much she accomplished as just a teenager.
She was home-schooled
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Considering Thompson was already making history when she was just 12 years old, she obviously didn’t have a “normal” childhood. According to an interview with American Way, Thompson grew up in Coral Springs, Florida, in a family of golfers — both of her brothers played, and her parents were “golf buffs.” Thompson said, “I grew up off the 12th hole at Eagle Trace. I picked up my first club at the age of 5. I remember riding my bike with my golf bag on my back.”
By the time she was in sixth grade, both Thompson and her parents felt that golf was such an important part of her life that she needed to dedicate as much time as possible to practicing. They made the decision to home-school Thompson so that she could practice for seven hours a day. Thompson admitted that it was tough, saying, “I lost the friends I went to elementary school with.”
She takes being a role model very seriously
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As a female athlete, Thompson is fully aware that she is often seen as a role model for many girls who are younger than her. Because of that, she has said that she does everything she can to set a good example. In an interview with IndyStar, she talked about the importance of “loving yourself for who you are,” saying, “I guess I consider myself a role model, just because a lot of people tell me I am.” But it’s not something she’s unhappy with. She added, “As athletes, we should leave our sport better than when we started.”
Thompson’s stance on being a role model is obvious in the way she acts on social media: the golfer is always honest and open with her fans and followers. In an interview with Golf Channel, Thompson said, “I love being a role model.” It definitely shows.
She struggles with body image issues
Instagram
As a professional athlete, Thompson spends a lot of time in the gym working out and keeping herself in shape for her sport. She regularly shares photos of herself at the gym, and has shared her workout tips with publications in the past. In an interview with CNN, Thompson said, “I’m definitely addicted to the whole training part of it. I love working out. It’s kind of like my outlet; just run.”
Read More: https://www.thelist.com/142848/the-untold-truth-of-lexi-thompson/
