Top 6 Golfing Moments That Proved Why The Mizuho Americas Open’s Host Michelle Wie West Is an LPGA Legend

Michelle Wie West is an absolutely stellar golfer and a human, both off and on the course. Born on October 11 1989, the 33 years old is a mama of 1 human and 2 fur babies.

Her journey to stardom started off when she was just 10 years old, when she became the youngest golfer to win U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and even the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. In 2022, after competing in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, Wie West announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour. She has been a pro golfer since she was 15, and the news of her retirement took everyone in the golf world through a wave of shock. 

The Hawaiian golfer is now returning to Jersey City at Liberty National Golf Club as the host of the LPGA’s most innovative event, the Mizuho Americas Open. She is beyond excited about the upcoming event.

A golfer, who has had such an inspiring run is bound to host an even more inspirational event. She has created history on the course, and we cannot wait for her to do so again, but this time, as a host! Dive to read about some of the most indelible and sensational moments of Michelle Wie West’s career.

Michelle Wie West: The Hawaiian trailblazer 

The former LPGA pro has had quite an inspiring and persevering run in the course of her career. While pursuing her degree from Stanford University, West achieved an impressive accomplishment by winning twice on the LPGA Tour. 

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This trailblazer from Hawaii further cemented her legacy by securing victories on five occasions on the LPGA tour, notably triumphing at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open held at Pinehurst No. 2.

Most enduring moments of Michelle Wie’s career 

Although her whole career has been absolute bliss to experience, some of her unforgettable achievements and moments are listed down below:

• She created history at her first major tournament 

At 2003 Kraft Nabisco, now known as Chevron Championship, West was the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA event at just the age of 13. She posted 66 in the third round to qualify for the final round. In the final round, she scored 76 and tied for 9th position. Her score of 66 helped her set a record as an amateur. 

• West took on the men in the sport as well

The LPGA veteran has always been different and followed a non-professional path of playing on the PGA Tour events and competing against men. She made her debut on the PGA Tour when she was just 14 years old in 2004. Her debut event was Sony Open and it was organized in Honolulu. She did not make the cut for the event though and missed it just by a thread. Including the Honolulu event, West has competed in eight PGA Tour events.

• The former LPGA star tried to compete at Augusta National

It was West’s dream to compete in the Masters. Although her dream was shattered when she suffered a defeat in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links. This was an event that was previously organized by the USGA and the winner was granted an invitation to compete in Augusta, Georgia.

To begin her journey, she needed to accomplish the unprecedented feat of qualifying for an adult male USGA event as a woman. She achieved this by tying for first place in a sectional qualifier. Later, she posted scores of 76 and 72, becoming the first woman to secure a spot in the match play competition.

Despite her impressive progress, the 15-year-old golfer ultimately faced defeat at the hands of Clay Ogden, a junior from BYU. Ogden’s exceptional performance, including birdies on four of the first five holes, propelled him to victory in their quarterfinal match. This triumph over the young prodigy instantly brought Ogden widespread recognition. Ultimately, he went on to win the championship.

• Her special Sweet 16

Michelle West turned a pro golfer just a week before her birthday. She was 15 at the time and it was a perfect birthday gift for her sweet 16th birthday. She also signed deals worth $10 million per year with Nike and Sony at that time.

• West won her first-ever LPGA Title

West emerged victorious for the first time on the LPGA Tour at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. She won by two strokes and defeated American Paula Creamer. Her fellow golfers, Creamer and Morgan Pressel, even poured beer on the winner to celebrate her win on the 18th green!

• The apex moment of her career

The most stellar moment of her career was when she won her first major championship on the Tour. It was in 2014. She won the Women’s US Open at Pinehurst. Of course, her victory was not drama free. The golfer lost her ball on the 16th hole for a few moments. She had beaten Stacy Lewis by two shots to claim the biggest title in women’s golf.

As per Golf Week, she then spoke, “I didn’t let it get away from me.” 

• Returned to the course as Makenna’s mom

The golfer participated in the Kia Classic, the first among six tournaments she played in 2021. Just 9 months prior to competing, she gave birth to her daughter, Makenna. Despite falling short by four strokes to make the cut, she expressed her enthusiasm for returning to competitive play and took pride in being a positive role model for her newborn child.

West has always been held back in her career by her injuries but the golfer has always persevered through. It will be fascinating and thrilling to see her in Jersey hosting 120 LPGA pros and 24 junior golfers.

What do you think about the incredible LPGA veteran? Let us know in the comments below.

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