Michelle Wie West Gives Surprising Update to Her Playing Status

The former U.S. Open champion will play that event again this summer, and she also announced another change to her schedule.

Wie West at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Don’t call it a comeback.

Michelle Wie West, the former golf prodigy and 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion, announced on Tuesday she will play the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club in May. This will be her first tournament since retiring from golf following the 2023 U.S. Open and will proceed her appearance at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. 

Despite now playing a multi-event schedule, Wie says it isn’t an unretirement party. 

“This is not, like, a comeback by any means,” Wie West said with a wry smile while shaking her head after being asked if she play more. “Just this and the U.S. Open.”

Wie West made the announcement at Mountain Ridge during the Mizuho media day. The tournament, which Wie is hosts, is being held here May 7-10 in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The U.S. Women’s Open is at Riviera Country Club June from 4-7. 

This is Wie West’s final year of automatic eligibility after winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst in 2014. (Her 10-year exemption was extended two years for her two separate maternity leaves.) The Mizuho will be solid tune-up before she heads to the West Coast 

“Timing-wise it works out,” she said. “There is a big part of me that was itching to want to play in the [Mizuho] event and I feel really honored to be.” 

It’s also an opportunity for her children to watch her play in a competitive environment. Her daughter is now 6. She was 2 when Wie last played, a missed cut at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. 

Wie West has been practicing with her daughter in the leadup to this event. She also played a few practice rounds at Mountain Ridge, a Donald Ross design noted for its severely undulating and fast greens. 

“I’ve been practicing really hard and working out every chance I get,” Wie West said. “Now I have two kids, so there’s a lot of juggling going around. I’m just trying to squeze in as much as I can. Practice looks very different now then it did when I was playing full time and was single and had no kids. I’m learning to do it a lot smarter. To do it with more quality than quantity.”

Wie West won five times on the LPGA Tour. Her first LPGA start was 2002 when she was just 13 years old, and she hasn’t played a full season since 2018.

Since then she’s had another child, who she’s most excited to share this experience with. 

“The last time I played at Pebble, she was two years old,” Wie West said of her daughter. “I’m sure there were some hazy memories. But it’s been really fun to share the practice journey with her. Im really excited for both of my children to see me play.” 

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