PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Michelle Wie West has no problem admitting it: She has thought about her last walk up to the 18th hole at Pebble Beach — the final one of her career — plenty. She has visualized it, dreamt about it, even idealized it.
“Gosh, I hope it’s in the final group with everyone watching,” Wie West said Tuesday. “That would just be so incredible.”
As much as she has been able to, Wie West has written her own final script by deciding to make this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at this historic venue her last competitive tournament ever. And yet she knows all too well the unpredictability the sport that has dominated her life over the past 18 years can bring.
It’s why there’s no more crafting of her exit she can do once the ball is in the air Thursday. She has made her decision — one she described as “hard” — and is now having to come to terms with the finality that it brings.
“When I was done with Pine Needles, I was like, oh, but I have Pebble next year,” Wie West said of last year’s U.S. Open, where she first announced her retirement plans. “There is no Pebble next year.”
Wie West did not express regret, but she did speak of wishes and desires. She had always said she would quit once she had kids. She…
