Lexi Thompson leads KPMG Women’s PGA after best major round in two years

As she approaches retirement, Lexi Thompson delivered a vintage performance Thursday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Thompson, who announced prior to last month’s U.S. Women’s Open that this season would be the 29-year-old’s last, shot 4-under 68 to grab the first-round lead at Sahalee Country Club. The round was Thompson’s lowest major score since she fired a second-round 67 at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA at Congressional.

It was at that championship two years ago where Thompson nearly notched her second career major victory, following her 2014 triumph at the Kraft Nabisco Championship (now called the Chevron Championship). She ended up T-2, a shot back of winner In-Gee Chun. That 19th career major top-10 finish remains her most recent, as Thompson had missed six of her last seven major cuts entering this week.

In those seven major starts, Thompson didn’t break 70 while shooting 75 or worse in nine of her 16 rounds.

“I kind of clicked onto something with my golf swing just trying to simplify things out there and visualize my shots and be more comfortable,” Thompson said. “I don’t think that has to do with announcing what I did. It’s just a matter of being comfortable out there, playing free-swing Lexi I guess. Just enjoying being out there every step of the way.”

On Thursday in Sammamish, Washington, Thompson hit just six of 14 fairways around a claustrophobic layout, but she also missed only four greens in regulation. She birdied each of her first three holes, the first time she’s ever done that in a major, and added another at the par-3 ninth to turn in 4-under 32. Bogeys at Nos. 10 and 16 were offset by birdies at Nos. 12 and 14.

Thompson parred three of Sahalee’s four par 5s; the one that she birdied, No. 2, featured a wedge shot that Thompson ripped back to close range.

“I just tried to stay in the moment,” Thompson said. “There are a lot of tough holes out there, so just tried to visualize and really pick small targets, and just take advantage of the few birdie opportunities that you get out there. I felt very comfortable.”

After missing the USWO cut, Thompson tied for second in his most recent start, at the Meijer LPGA Classic. It was her first event with caddie Mark Wallington on the bag.

She now leads world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Patty Tavatanakit by a shot.

So, if she were to win Sunday at KPMG, would that change her mind about her future?

“I figured I would be getting that question,” Thompson said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. I made my announcement. I’m very content with it. Golf is a crazy game, so I’m not going to look too far ahead. Just taking it one day at a time and see where it takes me.”