“It can be exhausting to maintain a smile,” Lexi Thompson had said in May last year, as she announced a heartbreaking news. Ending a 14-year long career wasn’t easy, but it was needed. But as we move closer and closer toward scrutinizing what must have gone down in Thompson’s life, eye-opening secrets start spilling over, as was evident from her caddie Colton Heisey’s latest revelations…
Despite paving the way by qualifying as the youngest player for the U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 12, and becoming a darling among fans due to her aggressive style—which earned her 11 LPGA titles, a major victory, and numerous Solheim Cup confrontations—the last few years have been tough. Injuries, form issues, a continuous battle with mental health, ultimately led to her drastic decision to bow out. And looks like there was also another problem that prevented Thompson from making as much impact as she could have.
According to Colton Heisey, the LPGA’s course layouts may be one thing preventing players like Lexi from succeeding. Power hitters don’t usually have the opportunity to show off their skills in shorter, more accurate layouts, perhaps restricting the greatest talents on the tour.
During an insightful conversation on The Scratch Golf Show on February 27, Heisey—a seasoned PGA Tour caddie who trained Thompson during the 2023 season—elaborated on the same. He stated, “When [Lexi] kind of announced her retirement, that was…when we went our separate ways and she brought some family back out of the bag. But, yeah, the LPGA tour is different. I mean, there’s obviously a lot more emotions and the golf courses…it’s weird, too, because…some of the girls who hit it really far, they kind of get penalized on the LPGA tour.”
