West CALDWELL, NJ – Michelle Wie West thought she was ready to get back into the competitive golf ring. Five wins, a US Women's Open title and countless first-time pros told the 36-year-old that Thursday's return to the LPGA after three years would be no different.
Then it was 7:37 am at Mountain Ridge Country Club. As she tied it in the first round at the Mizuho Americas Open, her hand shook as she began her first preparations for next month's US Women's Open at Riviera Country Club, which is expected to be her final farewell to competitive golf.
“It was funny, I didn't panic going in, and I get to the first tee, and I'm like, Holy s–t,” Wie West said with a laugh after his first round Thursday. Wow. Suddenly the hole looks much smaller. I hit a 2-footer and I'm like, 'I'm not going to hit the hole. It's impossible.'”
It was Wie West's first competitive start since she rolled a 30-foot par putt to close out the second round of the 2023 US Women's Open at Pebble Beach, and it was a stunning reminder of what it takes to succeed and compete at the highest level — and that comeback isn't as easy as waving goodbye.
He opened with a par but made three straight bogeys before tripling No. 5. After doubling back on the ninth, he made a turn in 44, and the negative thoughts that golf can bring began to creep in.
“It's dark, very dark. It was very dark,” Wie West said. “The ninth hole, that was dark.
“My husband has been talking me up all over the place, you know. Golf can take places, and I've gone places today.”
But as Wie West struggled with the speed of the greens and a low right-hander that wouldn't return, the 2014 US Women's Open champion saw a father and young son walk the course with him. Steven and his 7-year-old son, Owen, came out to see the return of one of the most famous faces in women's golf. They walked every hole with Wie West at Mountain Ridge on Thursday, father and son soaking in the golf icon's limited return.
When Wie West said goodbye three years ago at Pebble Beach, it was a quiet end to a career that had the most impact on women's golf regardless of trophy size. He may not have lived up to the lofty hopes he had when he burst onto the scene at the age of 14, but he still captured the attention of millions. His personality is magnetic, and he has built a well-deserved reputation as one of the best people in the game – a child prodigy who never lost hope but did everything he could to inspire those kids who wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“I hope to inspire girls to go out and make decisions without fear,” Wie West said in Pebble Beach three years ago.
On Thursday, Wie West reached the 14th hole nine over. Owen and his dad watched from the 15th tee on the other side of the fairway as Wie West tested a slippery par putt. He expected the putt to slip left. It did, but not as much as Wie West thought, and it rolled past the hole for another bogey. Wie West raised his hand to mimic the break he thought was coming and walked in for 10 overs.
As he reached the 15th, still contemplating the latest in a long line of missed putts, Owen waited behind the tee box wearing a green Sonic the Hedgehog jacket. Wie West walked to the back of the tee, handed Owen a fist and the ball. He smiled widely and put the treasure in his pocket.
“At the end of the day, there was a dad and a little kid and they went all 18 and they made my day,” Wie West said. “To me, that's the best part of my day, right? I just find it amazing that the kids are out here. They're having fun. Hopefully, they want to play the game.”
After giving Owen his reminder, Wie West ripped off his drive and hit a perfect, chipped 7-footer for birdie.
Michelle Wie West wasn't sure what to expect in the first round of her Riviera program, a start she will make thanks to an extension of her 10-year maternity leave from the US Women's Open that she earned with her 2014 win at Pinehurst No. 2. He's been grinding to improve his game, but this was different. It was a brutal reality check, but it gave him what he needed – even if it didn't seem like it.
“I think playing under emotions is a skill,” Wie West said. “It's not something you can just argue against. There are tools and techniques you can use to play under pressure, and that's a habit, right? So I'm taking those feelings that I had, the anxious feelings that I felt today, I'm taking that as a practice.”
Wie West posted a 10-over 82. (He said he started to settle after a four-putt on No. 11.) He will return to the clutch on Friday. Wie West has work to do. On Thursday, there were flashes of his world-class talent – like a perfect wedge at 15 or a blasted drive at 18. But there were also nerves and the rustiness of competition.
“I build from here,” Wie West. “I have to give myself a lot of grace.
“At the end of the day, I put things right, and I build on it, and you have to learn from these types of rounds. That's what golf is all about.”
After Wie West entered the closing phase, he went up the line towards scoring. Owen and his dad were there waiting for an autograph. Wie West gave him a cheer and a smile.
“I will come back after signing my card,” he said.
As they had all day, Steven and Owen waited to see the golf star again, shining as brightly as ever.
