Long overdue: Lexi Thompson headlines list of notable LPGA major championship droughts

Lexi Thompson’s 57th major start will long be remembered as one of her most painful losses. Certainly not on the level of the 2017 ANA Inspiration (now Chevron Championship), where a four-stroke fiasco rocked the golf world and led to a change in the Rules of Golf.

And not as stunning as the five-stroke collapse on the back nine at The Olympic Club at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.

But the KPMG Women’s PGA loss at Congressional certainly ranks a solid third on Thompson’s list of major heartbreaks. An 11-time winner on the LPGA, Thompson still only has one major on her resume and it came at the 2014 Chevron Championship.

Thompson is hardly alone, however, in big names on the LPGA who haven’t won a major in quite some time. Here’s a list of notables:

Lexi Thompson – 2014

Lexi Thompson poses with the Dinah Shore Trophy after winning the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

When Lexi Thompson last won a major in 2014, she became the second youngest major winner at the time, behind Morgan Pressel. Who could’ve ever guessed that eight years later, she’d still be waiting on her second one?

Thompson has 13 top-five finishes in 57 starts at the majors.

Inbee Park – 2015

Inbee Park poses with the trophy after winning the 2015 Ricoh Women’s British Open at Turnberry Golf Club in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Inbee Park hasn’t won a major since 2015, but no one would be a bit surprised if she won her eighth later this summer.

Park’s first major came at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open at Interlachen. She won her most recent at the 2015 Women’s British at Turnberry.

Lydia Ko – 2016

Lydia Ko celebrates after winning the 2016 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

The major titles came quickly early on for Lydia Ko, who in 2016 became the youngest player to win two majors in the history of the game since Young Tom Morris at the 1869 British Open.

Since winning her second major title in 2016, Ko has finished in the top 5 at majors on five occasions.

Brooke Henderson – 2016

Brooke Henderson celebrates after winning the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington. (Photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

When Brooke Henderson beat Lydia Ko in a playoff to win the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA at Sahalee, it felt like those two superstars would be trading blows at the majors for years to come.

Yet, Henderson, like Ko, hasn’t won one since 2016. Canada’s winningest golfer has twice finished runner-up since then, most recently at the 2020 Chevron, where she lost in a playoff.

Danielle Kang – 2017

Danielle Kang celebrates after winning the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois. (Photo: Montana Pritchard/PGA of America via Getty Images)

Danielle Kang clipped Brooke Henderson at the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA for her lone major title. The two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion has four top-five finishes at the majors in 54 starts.

Ariya Jutanugarn – 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn holds the championship trophy winning the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open at Shoal Creek, Alabama.(Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Ariya Jutanugarn won two majors in the span of three seasons but has cooled off considerably since 2018. She has yet to finish better than fifth at a major in the last four seasons.

Jin Young Ko – 2019

Jin Young Ko celebrates her victory in the 2019 Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

After claiming two major titles in the span of 15 months, world No. 1 Jin Young Ko has stalled at the majors since the summer of 2019. And yet, she has won eight times since then on the LPGA.

Ko has amassed six top-five finishes at the majors in 23 starts.

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