Michelle Wie West will play LPGA event she hosts on sponsor invitation

Michelle Wie West will become a playing host for the first time next month at the Mizuho Americas Open. The 36-year-old mother of two announced her intention to compete on a sponsor invitation while at the event’s media day at Mountain Ridge Country Club.

A five-time winner on the LPGA, Wie West said goodbye three years ago at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, but late last month announced her intention to compete in this year’s historic U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.

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“This is not like a comeback by any means,” said Wie West of her two-tournament schedule.

The Mizuho Americas Open will be held May 7-10 in West Caldwell, New Jersey, approximately one month out from the Women’s Open. As the winner of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2, she is eligible for this year’s championship based on the 10-year exemption she received. The timeline was extended due to her maternity exemption. Wie West and husband Jonnie welcomed son Jagger in October 2024.

The practice back home in Las Vegas has begun in earnest. Earlier this month she took her clubs to Augusta, Georgia, for the first time, where she played Augusta Country Club and West Lake Country Club in between time spent at Augusta National. After noting on Golf Channel’s Live From set at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur that she had yet to play Augusta National, invitations came pouring in.

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Perhaps one day she will return to Augusta National with daughter Makenna in tow for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. Wie West’s 5-year-old daugther has taken up the game, along with basketball, tennis and flag football.

Every night before bed, she and Makenna talk about their days, and mom shares details from her practice sessions – what went well and what didn’t. It’s a completely different experience prepping for this year’s Women’s Open than it was three years ago, not to mention the fact that she can’t remember a time when her body felt this good.

After giving birth son Jagger, Wie West spent time one year working on her fitness.

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“I can't remember if there's ever a time in my life that I got to really focus on rebuilding my body without the aspect of golf,” she said, “and I am kind of fortunate that it happened that way.”

Three years ago, Wie West dropped a 30-foot bomb for birdie on the 18th green at Pebble Beach, where she played alongside Annika Sorenstam, who was also playing her final Women's Open.

“I definitely held back tears the entire round,” Wie West said after the round as she held her daughter tight.

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There are times as she readies to do tee it up once more in a major that she asks herself – why am I doing this again?

“The anxiety definitely is there,” she said, “but it's like a good form of anxiety, right? Like I'm super excited to put myself in that position. Just being able to talk about it, honestly, very candidly with my daughter as well too has been really great.”

At Makenna’s golf tournaments, Wie West said she can feel herself becoming her mother. Wearing similar outfits, with a backpack and the snacks. She’s watching in real-time as the game teaches her daughter how to handle hard situations and builds self-esteem.

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“I remember her saying after she won a golf tournament and then she made two touchdowns in flag football over one weekend, the first thing that she said to me was not, ‘Are you proud of me?’ It was, ‘I'm so proud of myself.’ And I think that’s when it just hit me.”

When it comes to how Wie West will measure success at the Mizuho, she said her daughter keeps asking, "Are you going to win? How many dollars are you going to win? Are you going to win $1,000?"

“Because I know it's so finite,” said Wie West, “I just really want to go out there and just two more times, play like how I know I can play, and how I can feel like I can play.”

Healthy and free.

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