OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — Rickie Fowler missed the PGA Tour postseason two years ago. Justin Thomas narrowly missed this year. It’s an example of slumps that can happen to anyone. And it’s nothing compared with Lexi Thompson.
It’s one thing that Thompson hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour since June 2019. Thompson is at No. 157 in the Race to the CME Globe.
Only the top 60 make it to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 80 have full a full card. The top 100 still have cards and get in most tournaments. But there’s no indication Thompson is capable of even that right now.
She missed her third cut in a major last week at the Women’s British Open. Her only cut in a major was a tie for 47th in the Women’s PGA Championship. But last week was only her eighth LPGA Tour start of the year.
“You shouldn’t read too much into that,” Thompson told Golf Digest last week. “I’ve just been trying to enjoy my life and take some more time for myself. This is my 13th year out here, so it’s my choice to play when I want, and when I don’t want to. I was dealing with a little bit of an injury. But I’m fully healthy now. I want to be sure I’m fully ready when I do tee it up.”
Thompson, as high as No. 6 in the women’s world ranking this year, has slipped to No. 21. She still would be in line for the Solheim Cup. The top seven in points make the U.S. team, followed by the leading two players from the world ranking. Thompson would be first in line for that, followed by Rose Zhang.
As for her playing privileges next year, she could always use a one-time exemption for being among the top 20 in career money. But she’d be relatively young to use that at age 28.
