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Michele Wie West drains final putt of accomplished LPGA career

DSprofileby:Dustin Schutte•07/08/23•

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michele wie west
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Michele Wie West’s LPGA career ended in poetic fashion on Friday at the U.S. Women’s Open. The accomplished golf star drained a 31-foot par putt on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, bringing her impressive run in professional golf to an end.

Wie West’s final U.S. Women’s Open appearance didn’t go quite as planned. In the first two rounds of her final tournament, she carded a 14-over-par, missing the cut by eight strokes. And while she would’ve enjoyed a much better showing at Pebble Beach, getting the final putt to fall was a fitting farewell.

“The game is a funny game,” Wie West said, per ESPN. “Making that long putt on 18 definitely was a sweeter sendoff.”

Wie West announced a year ago that she would retire in 2023. Though she knew this moment was coming, it was still difficult to contain the emotions of playing in her final golf tournament as a professional.

“It definitely feels surreal right now,” Wie West said. “It feels like nothing has changed and everything has changed all at once.

“I would have loved to have played better, but this whole experience was truly remarkable. It was great to have my final round here at Pebble Beach.”

Wie West took the LPGA by storm in the early 2000s, becoming the youngest player ever to make the cut at the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She was just 13 years old. A few months later, she made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open.

In 2009, Wie West became an official member of the LPGA Tour. She won five events while on tour, including a major championship in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

She also owned second-place finishes in the Chevron Championship and Women’s PGA Championship and a third-place finish twice in the Women’s British Open.

Wie West said she’s proud of what she accomplished over the course of her career. She hopes it inspires others to take chances.

“I’m proud of being fearless at times and just doing what felt right,” she said. “I hope that I inspire a lot of other girls to make bold and fearless decisions and choices in their careers, as well.”