THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome to the media center to the 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. I'm joined by Lexi Thompson, past champion of this event. Can you just speak to being back here in Grand Rapids and just some of those memories as well that you have from this event.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, a lot of great memories always back to mind when I come back to Grand Rapids. It's one of my favorite stops on the Tour. Not only the golf course is always in great shape for us, but the fans are unbelievable and really just how Meijer supports us and supports the community, it's just an honor to be here.
Q. Talk a little bit about why it's your favorite event. Why is that?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's one of my favorites definitely. I think just the amount of fans that this tournament brings out to support us and the excitement, really just the atmosphere that you feel once you step on the grounds here. Course is always in great shape for us. That's one thing.
Just the atmosphere and the energy you feel from the community really supporting women's golf here.
Q. This weekend is Father's Day. We see your dad on the course a lot. Speak to what he's meant to your golf journey and anything you'll do to celebrate him on Sunday?
LEXI THOMPSON: Unfortunately he won't be here. He just got back surgery. He's recovering at home so that's more important. He's meant the world to me on and off the golf course. He's been my biggest supporter with golf, always helping me and just pushing me to be my best.
Off the golf course he's always there to just love me and just to be there for me. That's all I wanted. I'll make sure to definitely have a phone call, FaceTime probably, but he's resting up now.
Q. Welcome back.
LEXI THOMPSON: Thank you.
Q. Last year you were here shortly after you announced your semi-retirement. You got a very warm good-bye from fans. Is that part of the reason you wanted to come back and play here this year?
LEXI THOMPSON: It's part of it of course. I always say even if I'm not playing a full schedule, this is one of my favorites and I'll always make it back here if I can.
It's just a lot of love once I come to Grand Rapids that I feel on and off the golf course. I stay in housing this week, so it's a lot of fun off the golf course as well.
But the amount of love and support that I feel from everybody at this event, it's truly amazing. I will always try to make it back.
Q. How is the semi retirement going? Is it a good idea for other golfers considering it?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's going well. When I made the announcement I just said that I wasn't going to be playing a full schedule and just dial it back. This is my 15th year so I was like, I'm just going go out there and pick and choose the tournaments that I really enjoy and I love the fans at and the sponsors at.
This is definitely one of them.
Yeah, I recommend it for people that have done it for so long and really need more of a life balance.
Q. I know you were just asked about your semi-retirement. That was something you wanted to clarify on social media recently. Why was that something you felt like you needed to clarify?
LEXI THOMPSON: I feel like once I made the announcement I feel it really got misconstrued that I was retiring, but I never said that word. I just said I was stepping back from a full time schedule.
Big picture I probably shouldn't have said that I was stepping away because people thought I was retiring. Just really wanted to dial back my schedule and have more of a life balance, but at the same time, if I went through a phase where I didn't want to play at all I left that door open as well.
I just wanted people to know that.
Q. Does that change how you approach just your schedule with more or less events?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think going into the year there is a handful of tournaments that I just really genuinely enjoy to play. Whether it's the hospitality, fans, just how the tournament is run. And then of course the few majors that are really important to me. They're always at the top of my schedule and priority.
Coming into the year yes, of course I looked at those and planned my schedule accordingly.
Q. You have consistently played really well at this event. Why is that?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think just kind of going back to what I said earlier, the course is always in great shape and I get to hit a good amount of drivers, which is nice.
But I think just the way I feel coming into this week, it's a very more relaxed atmosphere for me. The fan support is great. I just feel genuinely happy to be here and I think that helps me out on the golf course.
Q. Just pigging backing a little bit on your social post, did you feel last year with all the press conferences and celebrations that your intentions were misrepresented all of last year, too? I guess what led you to make at that statement at the Women's Open?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I wanted to make the statement because it was kind of up in the air with how I was feeling. I'm not going to say I don't feel it now. There could be a point where I go through a few months of not teeing it up. I didn't want to just do that to my fans, just disappear on them. That's not right or fair.
I wanted to give the tournaments or the fans an opportunity to watch me possibly the last time at that tournament or in their home city. So I was just putting everybody's thoughts into the announcement as well.
I knew coming into this year that I would still play some, but it wasn't going to be close to what I played last year. Probably play only around ten times possibly this year. It's about half my schedule. So it's getting less and less. I just wanted to give the opportunities for the fans to be able to support me if I was near them.
Q. I saw you're in the field for KPMG. What's the rest of your schedule looking like? Evian or the British?
LEXI THOMPSON: The plans as of now I'm playing actually these three weeks in a row. Dow as well. And then I'm probably going to do a bit of a break. Not set in stone right now but there are some personal things that I have to do when I'm home in the next few months.
So we'll see.
Q. Who is why you are partner at Dow?
LEXI THOMPSON: I don't know if that's being announced yet. I don't know if I'm supposed to even say. Probably not. You'll find out.
Q. Okay. Great. Thank you, Lexi.
LEXI THOMPSON: You're welcome.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Appreciate it, Lexi.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, of course.
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