"Ok to not be ok" - Lexi Thompson sends her 600K IG followers a message amid mental health awareness month

Lexi Thompson shared an important message with her 600,000 Instagram followers this week, emphasizing the importance of mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month.

The 11-time LPGA Tour winner reshared a post originally shared by therapist Jamie Nelson, which read:

"May is mental health awareness month. Mental health is very very real. Sending love to all who are struggling."

Adding her own note, Thompson wrote:

"It's okay to not be okay and seek help, always remember that you are not alone."

Lexi Thompson's story on mental health awareness month - Source: via @lexi on Instagram

Thompson’s message comes a year after she announced her retirement from full-time professional golf, citing the mental challenges and the emotional toll it took on her life. During her press conference at the 2024 U.S. Women's Open, she opened up about the pressure athletes face, stating:

“Being out here can be a lot. It can be lonely...I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, people don’t realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete."

"I think we all have our struggles, especially out here. Unfortunately in golf you lose more than you win, so it’s an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it. So it’s hard," Thompson added.

Before stepping away from professional golf, Lexi Thompson’s last LPGA win came at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic. Although she has retired full-time, Thompson has made four starts this year and made the cut thrice. Her best finish came at the Founders Cup in February, where she placed T13.

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Which golfers have shared Lexi Thompson's stance on mental health?

Lexi Thompson is one of several professional golfers who have opened up about mental health struggles in recent years. Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, revealed in 2020 that he battled anxiety for years. Speaking to Golfweek, he said:

"I had a lot of noise in my head. I thought I was going to die. It was rough.”

Watson sought regular help from professionals and used humor as a coping mechanism. He has since become an advocate for mental health awareness, adding:

"I think more people are speaking out about mental issues, and I want to be one of them.”

Matthew Wolff has also spoken about his mental health challenges. In an interview with Golf Digest in 2021, he shared that there were days he didn’t want to get out of bed due to the pressures of professional golf. He even emphasized that mental health should be treated the same way as physical injuries.

Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray had also been open about his struggles with depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. His untimely death in 2024 brought more attention to the need for better mental health support in golf.

A 2015 study by Dr. John Fry, a researcher at Myerscough College, found that many professional golfers often face feelings of loneliness and pressure, mainly due to constant travel and being away from family.

Lexi Thompson’s recent message adds to the growing discussion in the golf world about the importance of mental well-being and being open about personal struggles.