'Sorry, wait, what...?!' Golf fans all say same thing about Lexi Thompson at Chevron

Confused as to how Lexi Thompson finds herself in contention for a second career major title at the Chevron Championship this weekend?

Join the rest of us... 

Golf fan bewilderment lies in the fact Thompson, 30, revealed she was retiring from full-time golf at the end of the 2024 LPGA season.

"I am stepping away from the professional game," confirmed Thompson. 

Fast forward five months since the 11-time LPGA winner signed off with an emotional T49 at the CME Group Tour Championship, and Thompson now finds herself in with a shot of winning a second major at the Chevron Championship.

Thompson won this tournament in 2014. 

To further add to everyone's confusion, Thompson is in fact making her fourth start of the 2025 season in Texas this week. 

So much for slowing things down...

Thompson finished finished T13 at the Founders Cup in February, T38 at the Ford Championship in March and she missed the cut at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week. 

But her decision to ease off on the whole retirement thing seems to be paying off, at least thru 36 holes in the first ladies major of the season at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands. 

Thompson fired a brilliant 5-under 67 on Friday to surge into the top 15 on 4-under par heading into the weekend at the Chevron Championship. 

It leaves her three shots off the pace currently set by China's Yan Liu, who made a stunning albatross with a 7-iron on the par-5 8th. 

PGA Tour star Max Homa was out on the course supporting Thompson during Friday's second round.

Homa, like Thompson, is a Cobra Puma Golf ambassador. 

Why is Lexi Thompson still playing on the LPGA in 2025 when she said she was retiring in 2024?

It's believed all Thompson meant last season was that she was retiring from full-time golf on the LPGA, not retiring completely from the sport.

Thompson has decided to pick and choose her schedule on the LPGA in 2025, largely focusing her season around the majors.

As for some personal news, Thompson got engaged to Max Provost on 1 January 2025. 

Those in the Sky Sports Golf commentary box consider Thompson probably has not known what to do with all her spare time having played competitive golf ever since she was a young girl. 

"I can only think she doesn't know what to do with her time," said Sky Sports Golf's Henni Zuel during the live broadcast of the Chevron Championship. 

Sky Sports Golf analyst Simon Holmes said: "It's very hard to re-create a completely new life at the age when all you have done as a professional athlete is physically train yourself and technically train yourself to compete in your sport and that's in your blood."

A large number of golf fans have been reacting on social media after turning on their TV screens to see Thompson not just playing again but back in contention for a second major title at the Chevron. 

'Sorry, wait, what?!' commented one confused golf fan on X / Twitter.

Another wrote: 'Knew she'd never retire aged 30.'

'This is like a stand-up comedian coming back for one last final Tour,' joked another golf fan. 

'Great to see Lexi back and enjoying her golf again, go Lexi,' wrote one excited LPGA fan. 

Another commented: 'Pumped for Lexi, it would be such a cool story to see her pull this off and come out of official retirement.'

Watch GolfMagic's latest video with Lexi here:

Thompson's last win on the LPGA came at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June 2019. 

She turned pro at the age of just 15 years old in 2010.

Thompson then won her first LPGA title at the Navistar LPGA Classic in September 2011.

That came before she was even a full-time member of the LPGA, which she took up in 2012. 

Thompson's sole major title to date came at the 2014 Chevron Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in California.

The American held off compatriot Michelle Wie to win by three shots that week. 

Thompson came close to adding to her major tally with three runner-up finishes at the 2015 Evian Championship, 2019 U.S. Women's Open and 2022 Women's PGA. 

World No.1 Nelly Korda is so far having a week to forget at the Chevron Championship, which she won for the first time in her career in 2024. 

Korda is fighting to make the cut. 

Keep up to speed with live scores from the 2025 Chevron Championship here