‘Dark’ places for a touching gesture

WEST CALDWELL, NJ – Michelle Wie West thought she was prepared to return to the competitive golf ring. Five wins, a US Women’s Open title and countless professional starts told the 36-year-old that Thursday’s return to the LPGA after a three-year absence would feel no different.

Then came 7:37 am Mountain Ridge Country Club. As she went on to make it in the first round at Mizuho Americas Openher hand trembled as she began her first real preparation for next month’s US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Clubwhich is expected to be her final farewell to competitive golf.

“It was funny, I wasn’t nervous going in, and I got to the first one, and I’m like, Holy s–t,” Wie West said with a laugh after her first round Thursday. WOW. Suddenly the hole seems so small. I hit a 2-footer and I’m like, ‘I’m not going to hit the hole. No way.”

It was Wie West’s first competitive start since then rolled in a 30-foot putt to close out the second round of the 2023 US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, and it was a stark reminder of all it takes to succeed and compete at the highest level — and that giving back is never as easy as waving goodbye.

She opened with par, but made three straight bogeys before a three on No. 5. After a bogey on the ninth, she made the turn in 44, and the bad thoughts that golf can bring began to creep in.

“Dark, very dark. It got very dark,” said Wie West. “The ninth hole, it was dark.

“My husband was talking to me from the ledge the whole round, you know. Golf can take you places, and I went places today.”

But as Wie West struggled with the speed of the greens and a low right squeeze that wouldn’t come back, the 2014 US Women’s Open champion spotted a father and his young son walking the course with him. Steven and his 7-year-old son, Owen, came out to watch the return of one of the most famous faces in women’s golf. They walk every hole with Wie West at Mountain Ridge on Thursday, a father and son soaking in the limited return of a golf icon.

When Wie West waved goodbye three years ago at Pebble Beach, it was a quiet end to a career that had a massive impact on women’s golf, regardless of trophy count. She may never have lived up to the lofty expectations some gave her when she burst onto the scene at age 14, but she still captured the attention of millions. Her personality is magnetic and she has built a well-deserved reputation as one of the game’s greatest people – a child prodigy who was not broken by expectation but instead did her best to encourage those children who wanted to follow in her footsteps.

“I hope I’ve inspired girls to go out there and make fearless decisions,” Wie West said at Pebble Beach three years ago.

On Thursday, Wie West aced the 14th nine hole. Owen and his father watched from the 15th tee box along the fairway as Wie West observed a smooth putt. She expected the putt to slide left. It happened, but not as much as Wie West thought, and he holed out for another bogey. Wie West waved to mimic the break she thought was coming and hit to make it 10.

As he arrived at the 15th tee, still thinking about the latest in a long line of lost nails, Owen waited at the back of the tee box wearing a blue Sonic the Hedgehog jacket. Wie West went to the back of the shirt, gave Owen a punch and a ball. He gave a big smile and pocketed the treasure.

“At the end of the day, there was a dad and a little kid literally walking the 18th and they just made my day,” Wie West said. “To me that’s the best part of my day, right? It just feels so great that the kids are out here. They’re having fun. Hopefully they want to play the game.”

After giving Owen his souvenir, Wie West streaked her drive and hit a perfect wedge, chipping to 7 feet for birdie.

Michelle Wie West wasn’t sure what to expect in her first round of tuning for Riviera, a start she’ll make. thanks to the extension of maternity leave in her 10-year absence from the US Women’s Open, she received for her 2014 win at Pinehurst no. 2. It has been difficult to prepare her game, but this was different. It was a brutal reality check, but one that gave her what she needed – even if it didn’t look like it.

“I think playing under nerves is a skill,” Wie West said. “It’s not something you can just control. There are tools and mechanisms you can use to play under pressure, and that’s also practice, right? So I take those feelings that I felt, the nervous feelings that I felt today, I definitely take it as practice.”

Wie West signed for a 10-over 82. (She said she started to relax after the four-shot bogey on No. 11.) She’ll be back in the clutch on Friday. Wie West has work to do. On Thursday, there were flashes of her world-class talent — like the perfect wedge at 15 or the explosive drive at 18. But there were also nerves and competitive rust.

“I’m building from here,” Wie West. “I have to give myself a lot of grace.

“At the end of the day, I put things in perspective, and I build on it, and you have to learn from these kinds of rounds. That’s just golf.”

After Wie West went in for a final layup, she walked to the ropes to score. Owen and his father were there waiting for an autograph. Wie West gave him a high five and a smile.

“I’ll be back after I sign my card,” she said.

As they had all day, Steven and Owen waited for another glimpse of a golf star still shining as bright as ever.