Solheim Cup Captain Admits 'There's Definitely Some Concerns' Over Lexi Thompson's Form Slump
Stacy Lewis admits that she's concerned about the slump in form Lexi Thompson has suffered this year heading into the Solheim Cup in Spain
USA Solheim Cup captain Stacey Lewis admits Lexi Thompson's slump in form this year is something of a concern heading into the event in Spain.
Thompson's fall from grace has been a quick one, as she missed just four cuts in 2022 and had eight top-10 finishes including finishing second four times.
Just 12 months later though, and 2023 has been something of a nightmare for Thompson, who made just two cuts in nine events and broke 70 just twice.
Although she toppled down to 26th in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, Thompson was still high enough to sneak into Lewis' Solheim Cup side as a qualifier, but will bring some huge doubts with her.
And they are doubts that Lewis just cannot ignore as she focuses on her team pairings and strategy against Europe at Finca Cortesin in Spain.
“There’s definitely some concerns about her game, 100 percent,” Lewis told reporters on a conference call.
“Talking to her, though, she’s been handling all this remarkably well. I’ve said it before, but you see her off the golf course, and you would never know she’s struggling like she is right now.”
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There are echoes of the Justin Thomas situation in the Ryder Cup with an American stalwart battling through a big slump in form.
Thomas has a brilliant team record but whether Thompson's return of 7-8-3 in five Solheim Cups would have been enough for Lewis to give her a wildcard pick if she'd not qualified is another story.
A troublesome wrist injury that has led to limited starts for Thompson hasn't helped the 28-year-old, but Lewis believes she can still play a big part for Team USA.
“She is not going to quit, and she is not going to give up on the golf course, and sometimes I think that’s the most important thing in Solheim Cups and team events," said Lewis.
The captain also insisted that just having Thompson's experience around the team could help them in their bid to win back the Solheim Cup on foreign soil.
“We are going to rely on her behind the scenes, too, to help in the team room and be in a different position than she’s been in the past, because she probably is the most experienced of anybody on the team.
"We are just going to rely on her differently and hopefully over the next month with her work that she’s putting in that she gets some things figured out.”
Thompson is due to tee it up in the Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio in the last LPGA event before the Solheim Cup in a bid to find something before heading across the Atlantic.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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