By Sonali Verma
Lexi Thompson recently gave her fans a peek into her weekend as she shared a carousel of four photos on Instagram. The 30-year-old golfer showed off her relaxed beach style with a mix of casual and chic looks.Thompson, who wrapped up June with a runner-up finish at the Dow Championship alongside Megan Kang, seems to be enjoying some well-deserved downtime. The duo finished 20-under-par, marking Thompson鈥檚 best result in eight starts this season.In the first photo, she flashes a bright smile in a close-up selfie, wearing a sleeveless top paired with a cross necklace and a sleek watch. But the second photo caught the most attention as she posed in front of a mirror wearing a floral bikini set, giving major summer vibes.The ensemble features a red floral print with shades of pink and hints of orange on a soft green background, paired with a matching wrap skirt. Its crisscross halter neckline and vibrant design created a fun, vacation-ready look.Lexi Thompson captioned her post:”Hope everybody had a fun weekend 🇺🇸 #siestakey” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAlthough Lexi Thompson officially stepped away from full-time professional golf in May 2024, citing mental health struggles, she still plays select events through exemptions. Despite her limited schedule, she is currently ranked 43rd in the Rolex Rankings and 36th in the CME Points standings. In eight starts this season, she has made the cut six times, including two top-10 finishes.Confusion lingers over Lexi Thompson鈥檚 retirement plansLexi Thompson surprised the golf world last year when she hinted at stepping away from full-time competition. In May 2024, she shared an emotional message which read,鈥淲hile it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time.鈥滿any of her fans took it as her farewell to professional golf. However, over a year later, Thompson is still competing. This has left fans and even fellow players questioning her initial announcement. Speaking on the Quiet Please! With Mel and Kira podcast, English golfer Mel Reid admitted the situation has been 鈥渧ery confusing.鈥 She suggested Thompson鈥檚 message might have given the wrong impression.鈥淚 don鈥檛 think she necessarily went about announcing her retirement from full-time play [the right way], I think if she could do it again, she would because it鈥檚 very confusing for a lot of people,” Reid said.鈥淚 think if she just wanted to reduce her playing schedule, probably she should have just naturally done that, and then commented on it if she was getting a lot of attention about it.鈥滵espite the criticism, Reid defended Thompson鈥檚 choice to slow down, saying her long career and early success came with immense pressure. She called Thompson 鈥渂rilliant鈥 for how she鈥檚 handled life in the spotlight since her teenage years.Lexi Thompson, meanwhile, has clarified that she never officially retired. Addressing the topic during the US Women鈥檚 Open, she told fans:鈥淚鈥檓 not sure how many times I鈥檒l have to repeat this, but I never used the word 鈥榬etire; I said not a full-time schedule, because I鈥檓 not sure how much I will play… Just taking it one at a time. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 still playing the tournaments I actually enjoy or want to play in. Much love to my true fans out there; thank you for your genuine support. You’re amazing,” she wrote on social media.Her words make it clear that while she isn鈥檛 playing a full calendar, she still plans to appear at events she enjoys.