Back in April 2024, Amy Olson called time on her professional career at just 31 years old. The former LPGA Tour pro was pregnant with her first child and excited to begin the next chapter of her life.
In the same year, fellow pros Lexi Thompson, Mariajo Uribe, Marina Alex, Ally Ewing, So Yeon Ryu, and several others also announced their retirement from the game for a variety of different reasons – many of whom were in their early 30s. Lydia Ko is also seemingly considering walking away as well, with the 27-year-old having turned pro as a 16-year-old.
For male players, walking away from pro golf at such an age is barely ever a consideration, even when becoming a parent. However, for their female peers, it is a very real and incredibly regular decision across the board.
In an exclusive interview with Golf Monthly, Olson explained why she opted to retire at 31 and how – for many of her former peers – there is an enforced end date to their career, no matter their level of performance.
Olson said: “Some women don’t want to have kids or maybe don’t want to get married, that’s just not part of their dream. But for a lot of women, it is. I think that’s something that’s pretty much always in the back of your mind as a female athlete.
Amy Olson during the 2023 US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“And so there’s always this clock ticking in the back of your mind and you’re sitting there calculating, ‘okay, if I retire now, how many kids can I have before my time runs out?'”
But, according to the North Dakota University grad, there are a couple of other significant factors behind many top female pros ending their playing days shortly after their 30th birthday – aside from the desire to start a family.
As Olson rightly pointed out, having children does not feature in everyone’s life plan. For these women, who have been working towards becoming a top professional since they were able to stand on their own two feet, a considerable amount of travel can also take its toll.
Olson continued: “You’re trying to balance these competing interests, and so I don’t know if that’s the reason that all of these women retired this year, but there’s also a component of just burnout.
“Once you get to the professional stage, speaking for the LPGA, they have about 32 events a year and I…
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