ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – A few years ago, not too far from St. Andrews at Gleneagles, Suzann Pettersen delivered arguably the greatest walk-off in the history of women’s professional golf when she holed a Solheim Cup-winning putt and then surprisingly retired on the spot.
“I think that was so cool what she did, the mic drop,” Lydia Ko says.
Added Lexi Thompson: “It was meant to be. It kind of all just ended up happening, I feel like, how God planned it for her.”
Ko and Thompson, who both turned pro before they could legally drive, won’t be competing for much longer. The 27-year-old Ko has said she doesn’t envision herself playing into her 30s — and that was before she captured an Olympic gold medal and booked her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Thompson, 29, announced earlier this year that this would be her last full-time season.
There are many who wouldn’t blame either if they strolled across the Swilcan Bridge on Sunday, another major title in hand, and waved goodbye for good.
How epic would that be?
Just don’t expect it to happen.
“And just retire if I won?” Thompson said when asked if she’s the type of person who would appreciate such a moment. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”
Ko, who owns two major titles though has largely struck out in her Women’s Open starts (two top-10s), said her focus currently is keeping herself in a position where she’s competing at her highest level. She knows the time will soon come when she must hold a press conference like Thompson did prior to the U.S. Women’s Open back in May.
But she won’t be making any rash decisions this week.
“This is definitely not my last press conference,” Ko said. “It’s exciting what’s ahead. In ways it can be scary because
I’ve played golf since I was five, and this is my life whether I like it or not, and golf has given me so much for me to be thankful for on and off the golf course. I think it’s not an easy decision, but I know I have a great support team and family that’s so supportive. You know, great mentors that are going to help me and give me advice, and I feel very fortunate to be in that kind of position.”
Thompson, whose lone major win came a decade ago in Palm Springs, has admittedly wondered, even if slightly, if these final laps around the Old Course could be her last in a major. But then she remembers that she’s still exempt for a handful more.
“Going into next year, I’m going to take some time off and just see how I feel, see how I feel mentally and where I’m at,” Thompson said.
If she’s able to compete, she’ll continue to do so, just in a part-time capacity.
“My path,” Thompson adds, “I’m just going to take it as it comes and do whatever makes me happiest.”
Ko says players like herself and Thompson have earned the right to make whatever choices they wish when it comes to how they will go out. While a walk-off at St. Andrews would be a storybook ending for fans and writers alike, there’s a reason such moments don’t happen more with these competitive athletes.
It’s hard to walk away – and when it isn’t, it’s even harder to win going away.
“As someone that’s maybe closer to that point in my career than when I was a rookie, you’ve come to realize all these things, and you respect the player for the decision that she came up with,” Ko said. “It’s their journey, so all we can do is just clap and say thank you.”