Alex didn’t want to make a big deal of her retirement from the LPGA Tour. In fact, very few were aware of it before it was announced on Sunday’s NBC broadcast. Some of her close friends and family showed up in t-shirts featuring action shots of Marina throughout her Tour career in various stages of walk, swing, and putt. Once it was official, tributes poured in for the player who spent 11 years on the Tour.
With the CME Group Tour Championship as her last event, Alex officially stepped away as a full-time member of the LPGA Tour. And what a year it was. With back-to-back top-10 finishes in Asia and nearly collecting a third LPGA win at the TOTO Japan Class
“It’s always hard to say goodbye,” Alex shared. “I know this is what I want, and it’s the right decision for me right now. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a life that I built for the last 11 years out here, and golf has been my life since I’ve been a kid. We’re about to enter a new world of a new identity. It’s great, but change is never easy.”
Looking back, Alex had a remarkable career, one that many could only dream of. She joined the Tour in 2013, and in her 11 years she won twice, claiming the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship in 2022 and the Portland Classic in 2018. She also represented her country at the 2019 U.S. Solheim Cup, earning two points in her first and only appearance at the prestigious event. Over her career, she earned more than $5 million, with $719,855 of that coming in the 2024 season alone. Impressive, right? Maybe that’s why it was so hard for Alex to say goodbye to such a great career.
Her final competitive round was a 6-under-par 66 that left her in a tie with Jennifer Kupcho, France’s Celine Boutier, and South Korea’s Jin Young Ko. Alex also thanked those who supported her as she choked up while bidding farewell.
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