The American Stacy Lewis, aged 40, announced this Wednesday that she will retire from professional golf at the end of the 2025 LPGA season, thus closing an extraordinary career marked undoubtedly by perseverance, commitment, and a deep connection with the sport in which she has become a star and a reference, both in individual competitions and in team tournaments where she has been a key player, such as the Solheim Cup.
In a personal letter published on the official website of the American women’s circuit, Lewis, who began her formative journey 22 years ago at the University of Arkansas, recalled her beginnings full of uncertainty after a complex back surgery since at the age of 11 she was diagnosed with scoliosis and had to undergo spinal fusion treatment: “I arrived on campus in Fayetteville three months after the operation, unable to bend or twist, not knowing if I would ever play golf again”.
Despite the physical challenges, her passion for golf never disappeared. “Everything since then has been a bonus,” stated the champion, hinting at the gratitude that has guided every step of her career. Lewis, known for her competitive nature and tireless advocacy for women’s golf, confirmed that “the time has come to put the clubs away”. Although she will play the full 2025 season, she has already decided it will be her last. “Never in a million years did I think this journey would continue in 2025,” she confessed.
In her emotional farewell, she had words of gratitude for those who have been part of her journey: coaches, caddies, sponsors, and especially her family. “My only caddie for 17 years, Travis, was always the most consistent and reliable person I could have asked for,” she asserted. She also highlighted the role of her husband, who fully integrated into her sporting life, and celebrated being able to raise her daughter in the circuit environment.
Lewis also dedicated a few lines to the LPGA Tour, which she feels as her own: “I have cared for the LPGA Tour as if it were my own child and I am very proud of the progress we have made”. However, she made an important call to her fellow professionals not to let their guard down and to keep pushing, each from their position, for women’s golf to continue growing: “We are not finished. I hope everyone continues to drive the tour forward”.
The golfer will close her career where it all began, in Arkansas. “Now it’s time to play for the 19th time at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. I can’t wait to hear the ‘Hog Calls‘ and play once more for all of you in Arkansas!” she concluded with enthusiasm. Stacy Lewis, winner of 14 LPGA tournaments, including two majors, with two victories as a player in the Solheim and one more as captain, after leading the American team twice, leaves an indelible mark on women’s golf, not only for her triumphs but for her leadership.
