Sometimes when success comes suddenly it takes time to sort things out. And sometimes that sorting out comes about only after reality disrupts the party, a stark reminder that the top is best appreciated when viewed from down below.
Lexi Thompson knows all about that.
So many good things came to Thompson so quickly that when life started tossing curveballs her way, she felt as if she were the victim of a vast conspiracy. Through help from family, friends and experts, Thompson now sees she simply got caught in the spotlight, growing up in the harsh and often cruel glare of public attention.
But here she is at age 24, standing up there giving all her might, more than willing to start all over again. As good as Thompson has been – 11 LPGA victories including a major championship – it feels as if her massive potential, which looms as large as her 6-foot frame and as long as her booming drives, has only had its surface scratched.
The Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw, said youth is wasted on the young. What he meant is the enthusiasm of youth usually exceeds the understanding that comes only with age. For Thompson, it meant learning she’s not a golfer who happens to be a person but rather a person who happens to be a golfer.
“It’s been a lot to deal with, but growing up, golf was always in my blood. I knew what came with it. Unfortunately there has been a lot of downs, but it makes the ups that much better.”
– Lexi Thompson
