Michelle Wie West is gearing up for what is perhaps the final tournament of her famed golf career this week.
The 2023 U.S. Women’s Open is, for now, the last LPGA event of the golf star’s storied career. It’s a place of historical significance for the 33-year-old Wie West, who has been the face of the women’s game over the past two decades.
In that sense, Wie West’s final tournament is something of a historic moment for women’s golf. She became the youngest player to ever qualify for a USGA amateur championship at age 10, then became the youngest ever qualifier for an LPGA event, at age 12. With the Stanford alumna’s retirement, the sport will lose one of its biggest all-time stars.
“I really, really wanted to play longer. I really wanted to — especially after having (daughter) Makenna and her being a girl, I really wanted to play longer,” Wie West told ESPN on Tuesday. “In an ideal world I wish I was still out on tour and playing. Unfortunately it’s just I had to make a hard decision with my body. It is hard.”
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While Wie West has expressed a desire to play golf for longer — she hasn’t fully closed the door on returning for individual events — it seems as if she is putting her career aside…
