Lexi Thompson dumps family member to hire a new caddie for 2024 season
Lexi Thompson has had a family member as a caddie for most of her golf career. However, Thompson will follow a different path during the 2024 season.
Nicholas Thompson began 2023 in the care of his sister's bag but was unable to keep his job for the entire season. A first-half below her expectations prompted Lexi Thompson to shake her team, including her caddie.
That's how she came to Colton Heisey, with whom Lexi Thompson began working after the Solheim Cup. With Heisey looking after her bag, Thompson found her best form of the season and strung together three Top 10s (T8 at the Arkansas Championship, T5 at the Ascendant and T7 at the Annika). She also finished T6 in the (unofficial) Grant Thornton Invitational.
Lexi Thompson evidently felt comfortable working with Colton Heisey, as this Sunday, January 7, the two announced on their respective social media profiles that they will be working together during the 2024 season.
Colton Heisey previously worked with Brandon Matthews, who made his PGA Tour debut in 2023. Matthews finished 196th on the FedEx Cup points list, having compromised his membership on the circuit, so Heisey looked for new a opportunity and found it in Lexi Thompson.
An 11-time LPGA Tour winner and one-time major champion, Thompson has had both her father Scott and brothers Curtis and Nicholas as her caddie. Non-family members who have been in charge of her bag include Kevin McAlpine, Jack Fulghum, and Paul Drummond.
How was the 2023 season for Lexi Thompson?
Although she finally managed to get close to her real LPGA Tour star quality, the 2023 season was not the best for Thompson. So much so, that she reported a drop of more than 25 spots in the Rolex Rankings (6th to 32nd).
Thompson played 17 tournaments during 2023 (15 on the LPGA Tour, two on the Ladies European Tour). She suffered a total of eight cuts, all on the world's top circuit.
Her first top 10 of the year came at the season-opening Saudi Ladies International (T3). She had to wait nine months to get her second, T8 at the Arkansas Championship.
Even her performance in majors was one to forget. Thompson didn't make it to the Evian Championship, and her best result was T47 at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. In the other three majors, she was cut.
Despite having had a very poor season, Thompson qualified for the American team for the Solheim Cup, thanks to her place in the Rolex Ranking. The resurgence of her season occurred at Finca Cortesin.
Thompson scored three points in four matches, including winning the singles match 2&1 against Emily Kristine Pedersen. Upon her return from Spain, she became the seventh female player to start in a PGA Tour event, as she received a sponsor's exemption to tee off at the Shriners Children's Open.
The 2024 season will be Thompson's 14th season on the LPGA Tour.