Lexi Thompson in awkward exchange with reporter after shank

Lexi Thompson was involved in a tense exchange with a reporter at the end of the opening day of the Solheim Cup.

The 28-year-old bristled after being asked to provide a bit more context around her costly – and ultimately – decisive shank on the 18th hole of her Friday fourballs match.

Playing alongside world No.1 Lilia Vu, Thompson’s second shot came to rest next to the green, leaving her with a nasty chip from the rough and against a side-hill lie.

An eagle-three would have won the match for the US after Leona Maguire – playing alongside Georgia Hall – had dramatically chipped-in for birdie.

• WATCH: Pedersen’s epic Solheim Cup ace

• Lewis: Big opportunity missed with Ryder Cup

Instead, Thompson shanked her effort, her ball nearly hitting her own playing partner and caddie before coming to rest at the bottom of the hill in front of the green.

When she was unable to hole her fourth and Vu’s putt raced by, Europe had won an unlikely point.

There’s no denying it: that shank was a decisive moment on astonishing first day.

Perfectly reasonable, then, to ask Thompson about it, right?

Apparently not.

Confounding answer from Lexi and subsequent reaction from the US side. It was one of the pivotal moments of the entire day and somehow that's off limits? pic.twitter.com/9std3LFlmN

— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) September 23, 2023

In a press conference afterwards, a reporter asked her this question.

“Could you talk about the third shot to 18? There was some question about what you were trying to do and what you actually did do on the third shot. Could you just go through it for us?”

Thompson replied: “I don’t need to comment on that.”

“Excuse me?” replied the stunned scribe.

“I don’t need to comment on the chip,” repeated Thompson, audibly agitated by the inquisition. “It was a bad lie and I didn’t hit a good chip but it was pretty much impossible, so…”

• Solheim Cup: How to watch on TV in the UK

• Top coach blasts Ryder Cup course

There’s then an awkward silence, punctuated by the reporter saying “Okay, thank you”, and as the moderator moves to the next question, captain Stacy Lewis is picked up by a microphone muttering: “That’s a terrible question.”

Is it, though?

With social media already ablaze with people rinsing Thompson for her effort, surely it was perfectly reasonable – and responsible – for reporters to want to get context around the shot? What was Thompson’s thought process? Was she trying to hole it? How did it look from her vantage point above the ball?

Better to do that, surely, than join the chorus of people criticising her.

Regardless, the US led Europe 5-3 at the end of the opening day, thanks in no small part to a dominant 4-0 whitewash of the opening session.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor