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Pebble Beach, Calif. – Michelle Wie West has waited over a year to say goodbye to competitive golf on the biggest stage. When she reached the 18th Pebble Pass late on Friday afternoon, she had to wait a little longer.
Her playing partner at the 78th US Women’s Open, Annika Sorenstam, had dragged her putt to Stillwater Cove and there was confusion about where it should land. It doesn’t matter. It gave Wie West a few more moments to bogey the final 18-hole round of her career.
The crowds had greatly diminished by then, but those who cared for her surrounded her. Her husband, Johnny West, carried her purse beside her, while her friends and family shouted encouragement from outside the rope line. The couple’s 3-year-old daughter, McKenna, was among them sleeping in a pram. Approaching the green bunker, Wei West walked over to check on her sleeping baby.
Motherhood was one of Wie West’s motivations for leaving the game. In her last interview on the course, she kept her word. She may love golf, but she loves being a mom even more.
“There’s nothing I want more than for my daughter to be in better shape than I’ve ever been,” Wee West said last summer. “I want her to get everything she deserves.”
Those working on the Golf Channel’s Live From location stood in the back of the studio and watched the scene unfold. Wie West looked in their direction and made a heart with her hands.
“[I’m] People will definitely miss it,” she said.
The rest of the stands showered her with applause as she approached the green. This is the first time that the world’s top women have competed at Pebble, and without Wie West’s pioneering efforts, it might never have happened.
The racket – which has been a long for the 33-year-old – hasn’t quite caught up this week at Pebble, but Wie West is still proving she has a bit of magic left in the stick. With her final stroke, she rolled in a 33-foot par. All you can do is laugh. I fired two rounds of 79 to miss the cut by eight shots, but the results didn’t matter. This week has always been destined to be a celebration.
“Making that long batter at 18 was definitely the best goodbye,” she said.
It was the first stop on Wie West’s farewell parade with USGA CEO Mike Wan. Longtime Commissioner Wie West was greeted with a bouquet of flowers behind the 18th green. Tears welled up in her eyes as she kissed and hugged him. LPGA pros Marina Alex and Judy Ewart Schadoff paid their respects, as did longtime Wie West swing coach David Ledbetter, who made sure to connect with his aging protégé.
As Wie West took to the stage in the interview area, she held Makenna in her arms, eyes wide under the bright lights. Johnny, her parents, and a dozen others stood off frame, summing up the day that was.
“I definitely held back tears throughout the tour,” Wee West said. “Everything was amazing.”
Her final press didn’t last long—just six questions—but each answer came with a sense of gratitude. To her family, who supported her from start to finish. To her friends, with whom the bonds will last a lifetime. And for her career, which came to an emotional conclusion in golf’s greatest meeting on land and sea.
“it feels [like] “Nothing has changed and everything has changed at once,” she said. “It definitely feels weird and surreal.”