Michelle Wie West will make the cut at a major championship for the first time since 2018.
Wie West, who took an extended leave away from professional golf after the birth of her daughter, Makenna, has returned to action in 2021. She backed up a tough opening-round 77 at Atlanta Athletic Club with a 3-under 69.
At 2 over for the week, she’s inside the cutline and said each tournament she plays she continues to add more back to her mental toolbox after being away from the game for so long.
“I felt like (the LPGA Mediheal Championship) was the first week I really kept it together and really fought through and made the cut, and that really helped,” said Wie West. “I think that kind of bled into this week.”
Wie West started her day with a flurry. She birdied four of her first seven holes and despite a brief stutter through the middle of her round she parred Nos. 12-18 to get in the house under par.
She credited her husband for a post-round pep talk on Thursday to get her back and refocused for Friday.
“I was definitely moping after my round yesterday and I was talking to my husband, and he told me to get my head out of my a**, so I did,” Wie West said with a laugh “I played, got my head out of my a**, and I played some golf today.”
Wie West admitted it’s been difficult to be away from her daughter, who is in California.
“I heard like, this baby kind of babble on 18, and I felt myself tear up, and I was like ‘Get yourself together,’” said Wie West. “I definitely notice I spent more time on the golf course during my practice rounds today as I wasn’t rushing to go anywhere. The guilt is real. You go out there and like, should I really be here so far away from her? You just have to fight through it and know that she’s having fun and all that.”
Finding the weekend is symbolic for Wie West this week, as it was about two years ago at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club when she considered hanging it up for good.
“It’s pretty crazy when you think about Hazeltine and where I was and where I am now. I’m just eternally grateful that I have a chance to come back. It would have been nice to get some revenge back at Hazeltine, but this is a great golf course,” said Wie West. “I had a great day. It was a lot of fun.”
