The ongoing debate between professional golfers and media access has taken to the women’s game this week.
As the best golfers in the world took to Erin Hills Golf Course this week for the U.S. Women’s Open, LPGA Tour veteran Lexi Thompson became the subject of criticism after video clips emerged of her playing partner, namely Charley Hull, appearing frustrated at her pace of play.
Thompson has been a staple of the U.S. Women’s Open since debuting at the age of 12 in 2007. She has played the event every year since, and her story and longevity have made her a fan favorite.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Thompson felt the love this week. The 30-year-old fell short of the cut line, and refused requests for media availability every day during the tournament, according to The Athletic’s Brody Miller. Instead of speaking with the media, Thompson went to social media to express her frustrations with how the slow play fiasco was covered.
After thanking the USGA and the volunteers, and mentioning her game “wasn’t ready for the week,” Thompson addressed the pace of play issues.
“Want people to realize our group basically waited one very single hole on the group in front, we were never out of position/warned/or on clock. I’ll be the first one to say I’m not as fast as my playing partners the two days, but I’m also the last person that wants to be out there for six hours. So before you make assumptions, make sure you get all the facts right before basing it on pictures and little clips,” Thompson wrote on Instagram.
Now, one way for Lexi Thompson to set the record straight would have been to speak with the media, and address the narrative head-on. She opted not to do that, and viral social media clips shaped the story for two days. That’s her choice, she doesn’t need to speak with the media, but getting out ahead of the story earlier might have prevented it from taking on a life of its own.
At the end of the day, this is a pretty minor incident, but continues a trend of golfers avoiding the media during poor performances. Earlier this season, on the men’s side, Collin Morikawa skipped his media availability following a heartbreaking loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, later saying “I don’t owe anyone anything.” Recently, Rory McIlroy skipped media requests during all four rounds of the PGA Championship after underwhelming play.
Golfers have the freedom to do what they want when it comes to media access, but many have learned it typically behooves them to grant availability, no matter the quality of their performance. In the absence of direct availability, people tend to draw their own conclusions instead of hearing it directly from the horse’s mouth.
If golfers want to control the narrative, their best opportunity is to speak.