Alexis Noel Thompson (born February 10, 1995) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She has won a total of 15 professional titles during her career, including 11 victories on the LPGA Tour. Her sole major title came at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She has represented the United States at seven Solheim Cups, winning the event in 2015, 2017 and 2024.
Thompson set several age-related records early in her career. In 2007, at the age of 12, Thompson became the youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. In 2010, she was part of the United States team that won the Curtis Cup, and she turned professional afterwards at 15. The next year, Thompson set a record as the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA tournamentthen 16 years, seven months, and eight days oldwhen she won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic. Three months later, she became the second-youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour event after capturing the Dubai Ladies Masters, and in 2013 she became the youngest player to compete for the United States in a Solheim Cup. She won her first and only major championship at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship at the age of 19, making her the second-youngest LPGA golfer to have won a major at the time.
Thompson has come close to winning a second major on several occasions. She finished second at the 2015 Evian Championship and lost in a playoff at the 2017 ANA Inspiration after being penalized a total of four penalty strokes during the tournament. She recorded further runner-up finishes at the 2019 U.S. Women's Open and the 2022 Women's PGA Championship and let slip a five-stroke lead during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, which she finished in third place.
Early life
Thompson grew up in a home adjacent to Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida. She is the youngest of three siblings; her two brothers Nicholas and Curtis also became professional golfers. She began playing golf at age five and started playing competitively two years later.
Thompson was home-schooled, getting up early in the morning to carry out her studies before playing golf in both the mornings and afternoons. She graduated from high school in July 2012.
Amateur career In 2003, Thompson was the U.S. Kids under-8 World Champion. She repeated as the under-9 winner the following year. In 2007, aged 12, she became the youngest-ever player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. At the tournament, she shot 76-82 and failed to make the cut. Her record was later broken by the then 11-year-old Lucy Li in 2014. In 2007, Thompson won the Aldila Junior Classic to become the second-youngest winner in American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) history, and she also won the Westfield Junior PGA Championship to become the youngest winner in Junior PGA Championship history.
In 2008, Thompson won the U.S. Girls' Junior at Hartford Golf Club, overcoming Karen Chung five and four to seal the title and become the second-youngest winner of the trophy. That year, at the U.S. Women's Open, she failed to make the cut. She also competed in the Junior Ryder Cup in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in which the United States triumphed 22–2 over Europe.
At the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, Thompson placed in a tie for 34th, the first time she had made the cut in the event. She then clinched victory in a playoff at the Verizon Junior Heritage. Thompson was selected to play at the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup, and she helped the United States record a 15.5–8.5 victory over Europe at Aurora Country Club, in Aurora, Illinois.
Thompson played as an amateur in the Women's Australian Open, where she finished tied-16th, and she made the cut at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship, finishing tied-24th. She represented the winning United States team in the 2010 Curtis Cup competition and went undefeated, winning four matches and tying in a fifth. The United States defeated Great Britain and Ireland 12.5–7.5.
Professional career
2010 On June 16, 2010, Thompson, aged 15, announced that she had turned professional, the youngest female player to do so. She also signed a sponsorship deal with Cobra-PUMA Golf. During the year, she used sponsor exemptions to gain entry into several tournaments. She made her professional debut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, where she missed the cut.
Thompson finished tied-10th at the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, at six-over-par, nine shots behind the winner Paula Creamer. Two weeks later, at the Evian Masters, she finished tied-2nd, one shot behind Jiyai Shin. Her ranking subsequently rose 75 places to number 74 in the updated Women's World Golf Rankings on July, 26 2010.
In December 2010, Thompson petitioned the LPGA to increase the number of tournaments she could enter using sponsor exemptions from six to twelve. In January 2011, Commissioner Mike Whan denied Thompson's petition, but announced that the LPGA rules would be changed to allow non-members to participate in Monday qualifying for events they wished to enter.
2011
In February 2011, she competed at the Women's Australian Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters, where she missed the cut and finished tied-42nd respectively. Returning to the United States, she won a one-round Fuzion Tour event held on February 21 at her home course in Coral Springs, Florida. Tied after 18 holes, she beat Brett Bergeron on the second playoff hole. Victory also meant she became just the second woman to win a Fuzion Minor League event. In March, Thompson entered the Monday qualifier for the LPGA Kia Classic but failed to qualify.
Thompson's first LPGA tournament in 2011 was the Avnet LPGA Classic, which she entered with a sponsor's exemption. After three rounds, she was tied for the lead. In the final round, she carded a 78, which included back-to-back double-bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes. She ended the event tied for 19th, nine strokes behind the winner. In September, she won her first LPGA tournament, the Navistar LPGA Classic, by a five-stroke margin. Aged 16 years, 7 months, 8 days, her victory meant she became the youngest ever winner on the LPGA Tour, breaking the previous record set by Marlene Hagge at age 18 in 1952. Her record stood for 11 months until 15-year-old Lydia Ko won the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open the following year.
On December 17, 2011, Thompson won the Dubai Ladies Masters, an event on the Ladies European Tour (LET), with a four-stroke margin. This win made her the youngest professional winner on the LET at age 16 years, 10 months, 8 days, and the second-youngest overall, after Amy Yang, who was four months younger when she won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as an amateur.
Thompson successfully petitioned the LPGA for an age waiver allowing her to enter the 2011 LPGA Qualifying School for Tour membership in 2012. The first of three stages was held in July at the LPGA International course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Thompson won stage one by ten strokes, with the top 50 finishers and ties advancing to stage two. Having won the Navistar LPGA Classic, Thompson withdrew from qualifying school, and was awarded membership of the tour for 2012.
2012 Thompson made a course-record equaling nine-under-par 63 in her opening round of the 2012 Navistar LPGA Classic. She was unable to defend her title from the year previously, finishing the event two strokes behind Stacy Lewis. In her next tournament, Thompson placed tied-5th at the Shoprite LPGA Classic. She ended the 2012 LPGA Tour winless, but earned over $600,000 in prize money and recorded four top-10 finishes.
2013 Thompson was named by the United States to make her Solheim Cup debut, the youngest ever player to represent the United States at the competition. In August, they were defeated 10–18 by Europe at the Colorado Golf Club, and she finished the event with a 1–2–0 (win–loss–tie) record, which included a 4 and 3 victory over Caroline Masson in the singles. One month later, she recorded a third-place finish at the Evian Championship, before earning her second LPGA Tour win with a four-stroke victory at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in October. She also won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational the following month, beating second-placed Stacy Lewis by one stroke.
2014 Thompson earned her first major championship at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship in April. The victory made her the then second-youngest women's major winner (after Morgan Pressel). She recorded rounds of 73, 64, 69, and 68 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California to secure a three-stroke victory over Michelle Wie. After her win, Thompson said: "This was one of my goals coming into the year, to win a major...It's such a huge honor with all the history behind the tournament." She also recorded top-10 major finishes at the U.S. Women's Open, where she finished in a tie for seventh, and at the Evian Championship, where she ended tied for tenth. In total, she made eight top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour during the year.
2015 Thompson finished seventh at the ANA Inspiration in April and third at the Women's PGA Championship in June. She then claimed victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic in July. Trailing by four strokes after the third round, Thompson shot six-under-par on the final day to seal a one-stroke victory over Gerina Piller. She then won her sixth LPGA Tour title, and her second of the year, at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship in Incheon, South Korea. Thompson finished the tournament 15-under-par and said afterwards: "I don’t really play for myself as much as I play for my country. I love being an American and it’s a great honor to be the first American to win in Korea." At the 2015 Evian Championship in September, Thompson finished in second place, six strokes adrift of the winner Lydia Ko.
Thompson then played in the 2015 Solheim Cup held at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The United States claimed a narrow 14.5–13.5 victory, with Thompson finishing with an undefeated 2–0–2 record. Thompson won two matches alongside playing partner Cristie Kerr and halved her singles match with Carlota Ciganda on the closing day. In total, she made 13 top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour during the season and earned $1,763,904 in prize money.
2016 In February 2016, Thompson earned her seventh LPGA Tour win at the Honda LPGA Thailand. She ended the event 20-under-par to win the tournament by six strokes from In Gee Chun. Thompson held the lead after the penultimate round of the ANA Inspiration in April, but eventually had to settle for fifth place, three strokes behind the tournament winner Lydia Ko. In May, she earned her first victory in Japan, winning the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup by a two-stroke margin over Ayaka Watanabe. That same month, she also recorded top-10 finishes in the Kingsmill Championship (tied-5th) and the LPGA Volvik Championship (tied-6th). In June, Thompson finished tied-4th at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
In July, Thompson was part of the United States team that won the 2016 International Crown. The United States finished the event one-point clear of South Korea. She then finished tied-8th at the Women's British Open. Thompson was selected by the United States to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She finished tied-19th, seven strokes adrift of the bronze-medal position; she later had the Olympic Games emblem tattooed below the palm of her hand. In December, she became the second woman, after Annika Sorenstam, to compete at the QBE Shootout. There, she formed a team with Bryson DeChambeau, and they finished the event tied-11th.
2017