2024 seemed like a bit of a transitional year for the LPGA Tour. While young stars like Jeeno Thitikul, Ruoning Yin and Haeran Ryu continued to establish themselves as forces on tour, a fair amount of great players also decided to hang it up in 2024. Here’s a look at some of the notable players to retire in 2024:
Lexi Thompson – Thompson, an 11-time LPGA Tour winner, major champion and icon of modern women’s golf, shocked the sport with her retirement from full-time play at 29-years-old. While the last few years haven’t been the strongest of her career, Thompson’s last win came in 2019, she was still one of the biggest superstars on tour.
Brittany Lincicome – Two-time major champion Brittany Lincicome announced her retirement late in the season at 39-years-old. Lincicome won eight LPGA Tour events in total, and was one of the longest hitters on the tour in her prime. Lincicome was notable for being one of the first women to play in a PGA Tour event at the 2018 Barbasol Championship.
So Yeon Ryu – So Yeon Ryu was one of the key figures in the South Korean dominance of the LPGA Tour in the 2010’s. Ryu won two majors and six LPGA events in total and had 15 top-10 finishes in majors for her career. While Ryu’s most recent win came in 2018, she was still one of the defining figures of the last 15 years on tour.
Angela Stanford – Major champion and seven-time LPGA Tour champion Angela Stanford wrapped up her long career at the age of 47. The most notable storyline around her final year on tour was when she played in her 98th major championship in a row, the longest streak in women’s golf. It was cut short before she could reach 100, because she wasn’t given an exemption to the U.S. Women’s Open.
Marina Alex – Marina Alex developed a reputation as one of the most loved players on the tour by both her fellow competitors and the fans. Alex won two LPGA Tour events in her career and was on the 2019 United States Solheim Cup team.
Ally Ewing – In recent years, Ally Ewing really established herself as a prominent name in women’s golf, including her final full season in 2024, where she had top-10 finishes in three majors. She is a four-time Solheim Cup competitor and is viewed as a team leader in the locker room. She also has three LPGA Tour wins, all coming in the past five seasons.
Emma Talley – While Emma Talley never won on the LPGA Tour, she does seem to have a bright future ahead of her in golf media. In the past year, Talley has been a co-host of the Inside The LPGA Podcast, and has appeared on television broadcasts in 2024. She was also present at the 2024 Solheim Cup, where she did a lot of social media content with the United States team.
Gerina Mendoza – While Gerina Mendoza hasn’t played much in recent seasons, she didn’t officially retire until 2024. Mendoza is probably the greatest modern LPGA Tour player without a win, but she has had 40 top-10 finishes in her career, six of which came in majors. Mendoza also went 5-4-2 in her Solheim Cup career, including one of the most iconic moments in recent memory at the event, where she made a clutch up-and-down to keep the United States alive.
I.K. Kim – I.K. Kim is remembered by many for her missed tap in putt at Mission Hills in 2012, that would’ve delivered her a major championship victory. What people should remember though is her seven LPGA Tour victories, including the 2017 Women’s Open, and her nine top-five finishes in majors.
Amy Olson – While Amy Olson didn’t win any events on the LPGA Tour, she did put together a solid career that included two runner-up finishes in major championships. Olson’s last event played before her retirement made big headlines, as at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, Olson played seven months pregnant.
