Lexi Thompson’s mom, Judy, battles cancer and fuels daughter’s fire

Lexi Thompson’s mom, Judy, battles cancer and fuels daughter’s fire
Judy Thompson was at work at the dentist office in South Florida, where she started as an intern 44 years ago and never left, when she received the call that she had uterine cancer. Judy, already a breast cancer survivor, phoned her husband, Scott, who was out watching daughter Lexi practice at Trump National in Jupiter, Fla.

Lexi was days removed from a record-setting victory at the LPGA’s Kingsmill Championship, where she owned the tournament from the moment she parachuted onto the first tee. It marked a significant step toward moving past the nightmare that had transpired at the ANA Championship. “You know, she’s my best friend,” Thompson said. “So hearing that, and then just dealing with a lot of things this year, it was just kind of like a breakdown moment for me.”

The gynecologic oncologist couldn’t get Judy in for a consult for another four weeks. Surgery would be done robotically, but the doctor was booked out for the next six weeks.

That’s not working for me at all,” said an anxious Judy.

That’s when Judy thought of Morgan Pressel, the longtime family friend who has dedicated so much of her life to cancer research and treatment through her foundation.

Judy hesitated to call because Pressel was at a tournament.

“I will take care of this,” Pressel assured her, “you’re in my hands now.
With the help of Pressel, Judy met with doctors almost immediately. Five days later, on June 6, she had surgery.

If it wasn’t for (Morgan) and her foundation,” Judy said, “I would still be waiting.”

Lexi was in Canada at the Manulife LPGA Classic when her mom had surgery. Older brothers Curtis and Nichols were in Ivanhoe, Ill., for the Rust-Oleum Championship on the Web.com Tour. Judy didn’t want her children’s lives to stop, and urged them to compete.

Scott stayed home with her in Coral Springs.

Incredibly, Lexi finished runner-up in her next two events.

“She’s so strong,” Judy marveled.

After Judy learned the surrounding lymph nodes were cancer-free, she urged doctors to fast-track her radiation treatment so she could attend the U.S. Women’s Open on July 13-16.

“I’m going,” Judy told the doctor, “and I’m going to cook.”

Lexi returned home in time for the first round of radiation. Being there to hold her mother’s hand made a heavy situation all the more real. The tour’s top American couldn’t prepare for the second major of the year the way she normally would. She asked her agent, Bobby Kreusler, if she could bow out of all pre-tournament media obligations at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship so she could better focus.”