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Newsweek
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
LPGA Legend Slams Women's PGA Setup Amid Slow Play Controversy
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Just weeks ago, Lexi Thompson had to post a personal message on Instagram after receiving backlash at the U.S. Women's Open. Critics blamed her for the slow pace following her rounds with Charley Hull and Nelly Korda. Thompson addressed it, saying: "I'll be the first one to say I'm not as fast as my playing partners the two days, but I'm also the last person that wants to be out there for six hours." Sadly, the issue is haunting golfers again, and this time it's the Women's PGA Championship under fire. The first two rounds at Field Ranch East saw major delays. Players battled not just the brutal Texas heat and swirling winds, but also a course setup that many say made good golf nearly impossible. LPGA legend Stacy Lewis was one of them, who missed the cut after rounds of 78 and 76. "Today it was just hole locations again, on sides of hills," she told Golfweek's journalist on Friday. BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 07: Stacy Lewis of the United States looks on from the third green during the second round of the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands 2025 at Bradenton Country Club... BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 07: Stacy Lewis of the United States looks on from the third green during the second round of the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands 2025 at Bradenton Country Club on February 07, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by) More Getty Images "Then you throw the wind in there, there was no way to stop it on No. 8 again today. We should be playing the front of that tee, probably 120 yards ... can't hold the green". Lewis, a two-time major winner and former Solheim Cup captain, believes the setup is hurting the pace and viewers' engagement. "We had such a good run with this championship at very good golf courses and then we come here," she said. "The issue of this all too is, make us look good. We're trying to get more people to watch women's golf... and setups like this, they don't help us. This is when we have our biggest stages, network TV and all of that, and we're making very good players look silly". Major winner Stacy Lewis wasn't alone Brooke Henderson also called out the eighth hole, saying, "It's a very firm green and the wind is very strong right to left and down, so it's very tough to hold the green". Nelly Korda, who sits tied for 6th at 2-over after a gritty even-par 72 on Saturday, echoed the frustration. "There is just like no momentum in it," she said, referencing the long waits between holes. "You don't want to be spending 20 minutes and getting up to the next tee... it's another 15 minutes." Korda has seen this before. At last year's Annika Tournament, she won despite a final round that dragged into near darkness due to delays. "You just kind of have to go with it," she continued. "Everyone is going through it... you just have to be really creative and really patient." U.S. Women's Open champion Maja Stark also weighed in, particularly on the par-3 eighth. "I was trying to go long and right of that pin, but it was howling right to left... you don't want to get stuck in the bunkers because they're so deep," she said. "It's very annoying when it's like that, but it's just the mindset switch you need to have". It's surprising to see these issues persist, especially after the LPGA's recent policy overhaul. But with new CEO Craig Harmon set to take over in July, there's hope that course setup and pace-of-play enforcement will finally align with the tour's ambitions. As of Saturday, Minjee Lee lead the championship at 6-under after a third-round 69. Jeeno Thitikul, who led early, slipped to second at 2-under. Lexi Thompson, Miyu Yamashita, and Hye-Jin Choi are tied for third at 1-over. World No. 1 Nelly Korda is part of a four-way tie for sixth at 2-over, alongside Leona Maguire, Yealimi Noh, and Chisato Iwai. More Golf: Tommy Fleetwood Breaks Silence After Jab Over Zero PGA Tour Win
Newsweek
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Lexi Thompson Turning Clock Back at LPGA Major Chevron Championship
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lexi Thompson, the 30-year-old LPGA star, has been making waves with her return to the golf course after a semi-retired stint last year. Citing mental health issues, Thompson took a step back from the sport she fell in love with as a 12-year-old. But it seems she's now refocused and ready to take on the competition. "I'm still striving to be better for when I do tee it up because every time I tee it up, I still want to win," Thompson said after the second round of the season's first major, the Chevron Championship. BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 09: Lexi Thompson of the United States looks on from the third green during the final round of the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands 2025 at Bradenton Country Club... BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 09: Lexi Thompson of the United States looks on from the third green during the final round of the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands 2025 at Bradenton Country Club on February 09, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by) More Getty Images "It's not like I'm just going out here to show face. I'm still very competitive, and, yeah, but just trying to enjoy the few times I will play," she expressed further. This mindset has served her well so far. Thompson entered the weekend tied for 10th at 4-under par at the Chevron Championship. But it did not come without ups and downs in in 2025. After a strong start to the season with a T13 finish at the Founders Cup, her performance dipped, with a T38 finish at the Ford Championship and a missed cut at the JM Eagle LA Championship. When asked about the same, Lexi was brutally honest. "If I'm being honest, I wasn't hitting it great coming off last week. Didn't really know what to expect." "But Monday through Wednesday, I don't think I've ever practiced that hard and like worked with my brother Curtis on the bag and my dad, and just going back and forth with things that could possibly work." "So I'm very proud of myself, and been having fun the last two days," she admitted. Lexi Thompson opens up about life as a part-time LPGA golfer After announcing her retirement on May 28th, 2024, Lexi Thompson's major goal was to spend time with her family. "I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my life. Time with my family, friends and my trusted companion (dog) Leo," she stated last year. And it would not be wrong to say that opting for a part-time golfers' position gave her what she yearned for last year. "The biggest difference, more vacations for sure," the 11-time LPGA winner expressed after making the cut at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club, Carlton Woods. "And not feeling bad about them," she expressed further, making her feelings clear. She added, "It's my 15th year. It's very I think well-deserved. I'm enjoying my off time and still practicing when I can." Thompson recently got engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Max Provost, during a vacation to Whistler, Canada. Well, that's not all. Thompson also jumped into the fitness world, launching her own app, "Lexi Fitness," which offers guided workouts. But this doesn't mean her ambitions have scaled down. In the LPGA pro's words, "I have adrenaline every time I tee it up. "I think that just shows how much you care and how much you want to play well and how much of the training and practice that you've put in that you want it to show once you go out there and tee it up or perform in any sport." The 30-year-old will be teeing at 11:42 a.m. (ET) In the 3rd round alongside Weiwei Zhang, Elizabeth Szokol. The 2014 Chevron Championship winner is three off the lead to kick off her weekend. More Golf: TGL Rumors: Tiger Woods' Virtual Golf League to Launch Women's League
