‘40’ and ‘retirement’ aren't typically a familiar pairing in golf, definitely not among male pros. In the LPGA, though, nine pros retired last year before turning 40. And now Stacy Lewis joins that list. On Wednesday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the 13-time LPGA Tour winner let the world know her plan: “The time has come to put the clubs away.”

It closes the curtain on a 17-year career that almost ended before it even got to start. At 11, Stacy was diagnosed with childhood scoliosis. At 17, she had to undergo a six-hour spinal fusion surgery. And the recovery was grueling: eight weeks of bed rest and intense pain. She had to learn how to walk again. She missed her entire freshman year of college.

But it paid off, as you can see the difference in this before-and-after image. 

Lewis turned pro in 2008 and, in the next few years, went on to win 13 LPGA events and multiple accolades:

Lewis went on to represent Team USA in the four Solheim Cups and captained twice, lifting the trophy in her second stint. All of this with baby Chesnee Lynn Chadwell in her arms.

So, it’s a fitting end to a remarkable career.

And it figures Lewis decided to announce her retirement from Arkansas. As a Razorback, she won an NCAA Championship. She was an amateur when she won this event — shortened to 18 holes because of a rain delay — in 2007. Her retirement might be a surprise for us, but for Stacy, it is the right time.

Bethpage Black is expected to host more than 250,000 rowdy spectators this month. That means, prepare yourself to witness a repeat of some of the most notorious moments:

Bad blood (1991, Kiawah Island): Paul Azinger vs Seve Ballesteros was always box-office. But in 1991, they clashed over rules infractions, and it turned personal as Ballesteros accused Azinger of lying. The entire fiasco was played out on camera, as you can watch here.

USA vs USA (2014, The Gleneagles): Captain Tom Watson gave a dressing-down to every player on Saturday night. Not that it worked, Americans slumped to a 16.5-11.5 defeat, the eighth in the last ten editions. The fallout was worse: a heated press conference — watch Mickelson’s sharp barb against Watson, who was just a few seats beside him. 

Hilarious (2016, Hazeltine): A spectator, David Johnson, taunted Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson, claiming he could sink the 12-foot putt. Stenson challenged him for $100, and guess what the fan did next? Check it out for yourself.

Lousy (2018, Le Golf National): Nick Faldo called Sergio Garcia ‘useless’ during the 2008 Ryder Cup. Six years later, Faldo lambasted him again, calling Garcia “lousy”. Garcia never forgot. In 2018, the Spaniard became the all-time leading point scorer in the Ryder Cup and then fired this absolutely brutal parting shot at his former captain.

Scuffle (2023, Marco Simone): Patrick Cantlay. 18th hole. Hat-waving. Rory going ballistic at the parking lot. A few months later, he revisited the moment and called Patrick Cantlay a ‘d**k’ — Yeah, his full comments here in case you missed it.

As you read (and watched) above, the Ryder Cup helps fuel iconic rivalries in golf. That brings us to an important question…

Golf's repetitive strain can wreak havoc on your knees. A misstep or awkward swing can snowball into serious problems like meniscus tears – marked by a sudden pop, pain, swelling, and stiffness. But here is a simple exercise that can keep these issues at bay:

Once you're comfortable with this exercise, move on to our other key knee exercises to prevent injuries and keep playing your best rounds.

Golf doesn't always tee off with class, and sometimes it's just plain real. We saw this with Scottie Scheffler. Days after that No. 17 fart incident at Royal Portrush, Pardon My Take put him on the spot, asking the same question most people had in mind: Was it you? Watch the hilarious response the World No.1 gave.

But enough about Scottie. It’s Tyrrell Hatton’s time to shine. During the Ryder Cup practice round, as Tyrrell gets ready to crush a drive, someone in the background decides to play a different kind of shot (a gassy one, honestly). No confessions have been made (yet), but the team’s loud and boisterous reaction will have you in tears.