Lexi Thompson’s tattoos reveal two important things about her

Not many professional golfers have tattoos, but there are some outliers. Max Homa has the words “Relentless” written on the outside of his right wrist. Bubba Watson has his wife’s name, Angie, tattooed on his left ring finger. One of the few permanent markers on Rickie Fowler is the signature of his late swing coach Barry McDonnell on the inside of his left wrist.

And then there’s Lexi Thompson, who you may have seen on NBC and Golf Channel in the last few days. As a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team competing in tough competition against their European counterparts in Spain, Thompson has already helped her side earn two points, with the chance for a third point still open: hers Singles Sunday showdown against Emily Pedersen from Denmark.

Thompson has three visible tattoos: the Olympic rings on the inside of her left wrist; an arrow and the word “Faith” on her right forearm/wrist; and on the inside of her right wrist, flower heads with the inscription “Psalm 46:5” directly above. As might be expected, each of these motifs has important meaning for Thompson.

The Olympic rings reflect Thompson’s patriotism, which she possesses in abundance. That was evident in the run-up to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, when Thompson’s main task this year was to earn the right to represent her country.

“Ever since I found out golf was back in the Olympics, I’ve been preparing for it,” Thompson said after the first round of the women’s Olympics. “That was my number one goal, being on this team. I’ve been working really hard on my game and trying to tighten everything up and also work on the mental side because I know that’s an important factor in golf.”

Thompson was asked if competing in the Olympics was a higher priority than trying to win another major title.

“For me, yes,” she said. “I think the Olympics are higher than any other major games. We have five major tournaments a year, and we only have an Olympics every four years, and golf has been back since 1904. I don’t think there’s any comparison to a gold medal.”

Thompson finished 19th in the event, but her failure to finish on the podium did not dent her national pride.

When she got the call four years later confirming she would be playing for Team USA again, this time at the Tokyo Games, she said she got goosebumps. “That was my number one goal at the start of the year and I worked my butt off on the practice facilities to get there,” she said. (Thompson again finished well back in 33rd place, but was able to see her compatriot Nelly Korda take gold.)

Earlier this year, Thompson attended a golf outing honoring the U.S. Navy SEALs, a branch of the military she has long supported. At a pro-am in Virginia years ago, she made a memorable appearance when she jumped onto the track from 10,000 feet with the help of a retired Navy SEAL; The jump was intended to further their partnership with the SEAL Legacy Foundation, which supports families of wounded and fallen SEALs.

This week in Spain there was no doubt what Thompson’s spot in the Solheim Cup meant to her. In her first press conference of the week, she wasted no time in saying this. “My ultimate goal is to be on this team and be able to represent my country,” she said. “It is by far my favorite event. There is nothing better than waking up, putting on the national colors and representing a team and standing by their side.”

Thompson is reminded of that feeling every time she looks at the inside of her left wrist, where she had her Olympic rings inked in fall 2017. “Something I’ve always wanted to be able to do since I went to the Olympics.” “I’m more honored to have been able to represent the USA in Brazil,” she wrote on Instagram. “This tattoo has so much meaning and it will always remind me of all my hard work. I will wear these rings with pride.”

Thompson’s two other tattoos point to another core part of her personality: her Christian faith. The more visible of the two is on the outside of her right forearm. The tattoo was done in 2019 using blank ink and features an arrow with the word “Faith” in script.

“The arrow is just to keep moving forward,” Thompson said Golf week Shortly after commissioning body art, she said a 4 on a pain scale of 1 to 10. “God will have me on the right path.”

Further down on the same arm, on the inside of her wrist, Thompson wears another inscription over a floral pattern: “Psalm 46:5,” which, according to the New International Version of the Bible, reads: “God is in her, she will not fall; God will help her at daybreak.”

Occasionally, Thompson used social media to express the importance of her faith. After a first-round 64th at an LPGA event in Thailand in 2016, she wrote on Instagram: “Have faith, continue to believe in God’s promises, he is always faithful.” God blesses the believers and those who honor him. I remind myself every day that I should be grateful for everything and everyone I have been blessed with in my life.”

Three days later, Thompson won the event by six, marking her seventh LPGA victory. (She has won four more times since then.)

On Sunday, Thompson will look to add another item to her resume at one of the biggest points of her career. After the Solheim Cup was tied 8-8 after the first four sessions, Thompson is playing in the anchor game for the USA

On Saturday evening she was asked how she was feeling after playing three games at the hilly host ground, Finca Cortesin.

“Ready to go,” she said.

Megan Khang, Thompson’s foursome partner on Saturday, added: “I think this week is just pure adrenaline. If you feel like you’re tired, forget it because the crowd is right there to pick you up. Your partner looks at you and says, “Let’s go.” Lexi literally says, “Come on, we can do it.” I think, “I can do it.” “My little legs can keep up.”

“Lexi is a beast.”

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Publisher

As Editor-in-Chief of GOLF.com, Bastable is responsible for providing the editorial direction and voice of one of the game’s most respected and visited news and service sites. He wears many hats – editing, writing, ideating, developing, daydreaming about one day turning 80 – and feels privileged to work with such an insanely talented and hard-working group of writers, editors and producers. Before taking the helm at GOLF.com, he was a features editor at GOLF Magazine. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia School of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.