'It Was a No-Brainer': Lexi Thompson Opens Up About Her Decision to Join Tiger Woods' $500M League Despite Pregnancy

Kailash Bhimji Vaviya Thu, September 24, 2026 at 7:30 PM UTC

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Pregnant and semi-retired, Lexi Thompson’s decision to join the inaugural WTGL, the women’s version of Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s $500 million TGL, challenges traditional ideas about female athletes, motherhood, and career transitions. After playing 13 events last year and just eight in 2026, she’s showing that stepping back doesn’t have to mean stepping away.

Things have changed since then. She married Max Provost in March 2026 and announced her pregnancy in August. Many expected that to keep her away from golf for a while. Instead, Thompson remains committed to WTGL—and for a compelling reason.

“It was a no-brainer for me to be a part of the WTGL. Any chance that we’re able to be able to grow the women’s game, I think it’s our highest priority. But I think it’s something so different than our usual golf tournaments, our day-to-day rounds, and I think that’s what golf needs,” Lexi Thompson said at a WTGL press conference at Motor City Golf Club.

“It needs something a little bit different. Being able to see our personalities, how we interact with each other, not just the super focused rounds that we’re playing week in, week out. I think it just brings a broader fan base as well, eyes to watch women’s golf. That’s what we need.”

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Asked how the tech-driven league could help grow women’s golf, Thompson said it adds another dimension to the sport. Like in TGL, WTGL players will be mic’d up, giving fans access to their strategies, banter, and behind-the-scenes interactions—something traditional golf rarely offers. Thompson believes this more intimate, entertaining format could attract new audiences to women’s golf.

Her appeal fits WTGL’s vision of presenting women’s golf as both entertainment and competition. The league brings her together with stars like Michelle Wie West, Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, Rose Zhang, and Jeeno Thitikul, creating a rare lineup of elite golfers outside the majors and select LPGA Tour events such as the CME Group Tour Championship.

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But not everyone shares that view. World No. 1 Nelly Korda isn’t part of the WTGL. It’s not like she doesn’t want to grow the game, but she’s expressed mixed feelings about the concept. Her biggest criticism was that there was no need to have a separate league for women. It would have been much better if both men and women had played together.

Rufus Hack, TMRW Sports’ president of golf, said the league had “lots of conversations” with Korda and her team before deciding she would not participate in Season 1. However, he made it clear that her absence is not necessarily permanent, adding that “the door is certainly not closed” for Season 2 and beyond.

Unlike Korda, Thompson is fully committed to the women’s tech league. However, her participation could come with a unique challenge: when the league begins on November 8, 2026, she will be around six months pregnant, making her decision to compete all the more notable.

“It’s definitely a little bit different, but I just want to show women being pregnant doesn’t stop you,” she said. “You can still achieve what you want. Of course, it might slow you down towards the end a little bit, but you want to just take the time for yourself and your upcoming family and your growing family. But yeah, I’ll see how big I am come November, December. We’ll see how this works. We’ll see if she sticks with me throughout the team,” she added when asked about playing while pregnant.”

Thompson’s decision is not without precedent. Several golfers have continued competing during pregnancy, including Madelene Sagström, who played in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera around 26 weeks pregnant. Stacy Lewis likewise competed in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open while four months pregnant and later returned to win the 2020 Scottish Open. Other players, including Amy Olson, Catriona Matthew, Nancy Lopez, and Alison Lee, have also continued their careers through pregnancy, showing that motherhood does not necessarily mark the end of competitive golf.

While Thompson is confident, she is also cautious about how things proceed. The final decision is still pending. If her body cannot handle it, she may decide to drop out of the inaugural edition of WTGL.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”