SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — In what will be her final golf tournament of the year, Michelle Wie West — winner of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open — is expected to miss the cut in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open after shooting a 3-over 74 Friday and finishing 5-over after two rounds at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.
Last week, Wie West announced that she would be stepping away from the LPGA Tour after the tournament. On Tuesday, Wie West confirmed that the 2023 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach will remain on her schedule, for now.
“I definitely teared up a little bit knowing that it would be one of my last times doing that,” she said of her walk down the 18th fairway. “It was really cool … definitely a bittersweet week.”
Wie West, 32, won five times on the LPGA Tour during a 16-year professional career. She mentioned this week that she considers her crowning achievements to be graduating from Stanford and winning the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
“I would say I have zero regrets in my career,” Wie West said. “There’s always that inkling of wishing I had done more. But I feel like no matter what, no one’s ever going to be 100 percent satisfied. And I’ve definitely had an up-and-down career. But I’m extremely proud of the resiliency I’ve shown.”
At just 16 years old, Wie West debuted as a professional in 2005 after playing as an amateur from 2000. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2009 and has 59 top-10 finishes. Her only win at a major during her career was the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.
Wie West’s career was hampered, in part, by injury. She suffered injuries on both of her wrists that sidelined her for four months in 2007.
In 2021, she told Golf.com that, after giving birth to her daughter, Makenna, and still dealing with a lingering wrist injury, she thought she was done.
But in March 2021 she returned to the course for the first time since June 2019 and played in the Kia Classic. She missed the cut.
Beyond her career as a golfer, Wie West’s legacy includes being a pioneer for the women’s game off the course. When she turned pro she signed multimillion dollar deals with Nike and Sony, and she played tournaments on the men’s PGA Tour as well. She has made nearly $7 million in career earnings.
“Michelle has done some amazing things for the women’s game,” sixth-ranked Lexi Thompson said on Tuesday. “Just the things that she does off the golf course, branding-wise for herself as well, it’s inspiring. I’m happy for her. She has a family now, and I think she realizes that, like I am, there’s more important things to life than just golf.”
Wie West now turns her focus to her career away from competitive golf, where she has said she has many goals and projects she hasn’t had the time to work on.
“I’m probably going to let the clubs collect some dust on them for a little bit now,” Wie West said Friday. “But I’m excited.”
In conjunction with her announcement about her leave, Wie West also announced that she will continue to partner with Nike and work as one of its athlete collaborators.
Earlier this week, Wie West and LAGolf announced a joint initiative that will aim to provide players with full health care benefits, mental health days, maternity leave and performance bonuses. It also will help players with travel logistics and on-the-ground support through a concierge service. As Wie West put it on Instagram, the initiative will treat women golfers, “the way they should’ve been treated all along.”
