Michelle Wie West Says She Plans to Step Away from Golf, Won't Rule out Return
May 26, 2022
DALY CITY, CA - JUNE 12: Michelle Wie West of the United States tees off from the 2nd during the round three of the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club on June 12, 2021 in Daly City, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Michelle Wie West will take a break from LPGA Tour following the U.S. Women’s Open but left the door open for a return.
"I’m definitely not ruling anything out," she told Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols.
Wie West has competed in one tournament this year, the Tournament of Champions in January. She finished at 20 over and tied for 28th.
Wie West and her husband, Jonnie West, have one child together. Makenna Kamalei Yoona West was born in January 2020.
Beyond taking time off for Makenna's birth, the 32-year-old put a lot of mileage on her body over her years on the tour. In particular, she has experienced multiple issues because of her arthritic wrists.
Wie West told Nichols she's not at a place physically where she wants to compete regularly.
"At times, if I do play a lot of golf, I’m just in bed," she said. "Or I can’t lift (Makenna) up, and that scared me."
Wie West broke on to the scene in her early teens. She won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in 2003 at the age of 13, becoming the youngest golfer to win an event sanctioned by the USGA. She also became the youngest player to make the cut for an LPGA event at the Kraft Nabisco Championship later that year.
The Hawai'i native has five LPGA wins across her career, including one major championship (2004 U.S. Women's Open).
Women's British Open 2021: Anna Nordqvist Holds Off Crowded Field for Win
Aug 22, 2021
Sweden's Anna Nordqvist plays a driver from the 5th tee during the final round of the Women's British Open golf championship, in Carnoustie, Scotland, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Anna Nordqvist edged in front of crowded field to win the 2021 AIG Women's Open.
The Swedish golfer finished her run at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland with a 69 during Round 4 on Sunday. It put her 12 strokes under par for the tournament, one ahead of three others in second place.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen was tied for the lead going into the last hole until a double-bogey dropped her into a tie for fifth.
The British Open crown represents the third major title in Nordqvist's career while earning a record payout of $870,000 for the latest win. The prize fund of $5.8 million is the largest ever in women's golf.
The two remained tied in first place heading into the 72nd hole of the tournament.
Koerstz Madsen couldn't take advantage of her opportunity, however, hitting it into the bunker before a shank out of the sand led to a double bogey.
As painful finishes go, that's right up there. Nanna Koerstz Madsen slices into a 72nd hole bunker then shanks one when tied for the lead... not even a second place as consolation.
Shanks are like flat tires - can’t do anything to avoid them and they tend to show up at the worst possible times. Also, most people don’t know how to fix them so it’s a collective look of hands on the hips all hoping someone has the solution.
As many as six players were tied for the lead at one point Sunday, but it was Nordqvist who came through with a four-birdie round.
Early in the round, the big story was the play of Minjee Lee. The Australian started the round five strokes off the lead but quickly moved in front thanks to a final round score of 66.
She tallied seven birdies on her way to finishing 10 strokes under par.
.@minjeegolf is making a habit out of amazing performances on the final day of majors 👏
The 2018 British Open champion finished with a 67 that put her 11 strokes under par.
A few more competitors had a chance to challenge the leaders, including Madelene Sagstrom and Lizette Salas. Sagstrom was at 12 under before a bogey on the 18th hole took her out of the lead entering the clubhouse. Salas had a birdie opportunity on the final hole but also ended up at 11 strokes under par.
What an unbelievably patient round from Lizette Salas. Boring pars and no bogeys. Just hangs around all day despite giving up quite a few yards to the other leaders. Awesome stuff.
It left a battle between the two 54-hole leaders for the championship, with Nordqvist eventually coming out on top.
Many of the top players in the world will now prepare for the Solheim Cup, a competition between the United States and Europe set to begin on Sept. 4.
Women's British Open 2021: Anna Nordqvist Cards 3rd-Round 65, Tied for Lead
Aug 21, 2021
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 21: Anna Nordqvist of Sweden reacts at the 15th green during Day Three of the AIG Women's Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 21, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Anna Nordqvist and Nanna Koerstz Madsen
share the lead at nine under after Saturday's third round of the 2021
AIG Women's British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.
Nordqvist was two shots better than
anybody else in the major championship field in Round 3 with a
bogey-free, seven-under 65. It vaulted her from 23rd place after the
second round into the tie with Koerstz Madsen, who posted a four-under 68 on
Saturday.
They'll face plenty of competition
during the final round, as there are 12 other golfers
within three shots of the lead at the LPGA's last major of the
season. The chase group is led by Lizette Salas, who's in solo third
at eight under.
Nordqvist got off to a relatively
mundane start to the third round with one birdie through five holes
before she caught fire with three straight birdies beginning on the
par-five sixth. She enjoyed another torrid stretch on the back nine—three birdies over four holes—to push atop the leaderboard.
The 34-year-old Sweden native is a
two-time major champion, having previously won the 2009 Women's PGA
Championship and 2017 Evian Championship. She's never finished
better than seventh (three times) in the Women's British Open.
Koerstz Madsen, 26, is seeking her
first major title after posting her best result on one of the sport's
biggest stages in April, when she tied for third in the ANA
Inspiration. It would also be her first LPGA win after one triumph on
the Ladies European Tour and three on the Symetra Tour.
She carded an eagle, three birdies and
one bogey in the third round. The eagle came on the par-five 12th:
Salas is another player seeking her
first victory in a major after several close calls,
including second-place finishes in the 2019 Women's British Open and
2021 Women's PGA Championship.
Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Nelly
Korda, Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn and Brooke Henderson are among
the other high-profile players within striking distance of the lead
heading into the final round.
Scotland's Louise Duncan, who stands at
seven under, is also in contention and looking to become the first
amateur to win an LPGA major since Catherine Lacoste in 1967.
"I was shaking on the putt on the
18th. I felt on 17 my putt should have gone in, so I thought I
deserved a putt. I was extremely happy to get it in," Duncan
told reporters after Saturday's four-under 68.
U.S. television coverage of the final
round will begin at 7 a.m. ET Sunday on Golf Channel and switch to NBC at
noon.
Women’s British Open 2021: Mina Harigae, Georgia Hall Tied for Lead After Round 2
Aug 20, 2021
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 19: Mina Harigae of The United States on the 15th tee during the first round of the AIG Women's Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 19, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
The Women's British Open leaderboard remains crowded after Round 2, with Mina Harigae and Georgia Hall currently sharing the lead at seven strokes under par.
Hall shot 69 on Friday at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland to position herself well heading into the weekend. Harigae jumped from 11th place to into the tie for first after shooting 67.
The tournament is still far from settled, with 17 players at four strokes under par or better. It should keep things wide-open for the final major championship of the year.
There was a three-way tie after Round 1 between Sei Young Kim, Madelene Sagstrom and Nelly Korda after each shot 67 on Thursday. None were able to pull away in the second round after plenty of other players took advantage of good conditions.
Harigae pulled into a share of the lead thanks to seven birdies in the round. It puts the 31-year-old American in new territory at this stage of her career:
Harigae's career-best major finish is T13 (2020 @KPMGWomensPGA). Thru 14 events in 2021, she's recorded four top-10 finishes, including a season- & career-best T2 at the @MarathonLPGA. pic.twitter.com/Z7PQZec40N
Hall has more experience at this level with a win at the 2018 British Open, which could help the Englishwoman after carding a 68-69 in the first two rounds. California native Lizette Salas, who sits just one stroke off the lead, is the only other player to produce two rounds in the 60s.
Kim also fell into a tie for third after shooting 71 in the second round, including four bogeys.
Sagstrom is currently outside the top 10 thanks to two bogeys in the final three holes, although she remains in the hunt thanks to her iron play:
Thompson had a share of the lead at seven under before a pair of bogeys on No. 14 and No. 16 ruined her day. Maguire had no such trouble as a bogey-free round of 67 makes the Ireland native a legitimate contender to win it all.
Minjee Lee is also someone to watch after the Australian's round of 69, including a solid birdie on No. 18.
Looking for major title #2 this year 👀
After this approach on 18, @minjeegolf ended her day with a birdie putt to move within three.
Korda saw her first-round lead slip away after some struggles in Round 2, carding a one-over score of 73 in the round. The world No. 1 still shouldn't be counted out at four strokes under par for the tournament.
The Florida native already has one major this year and is well within reach of her second if she can get back on track in Round 3.
Based on the narrow margin in the standings, however, any mistakes could be the difference that decide the championship.
Women's British Open 2021: Korda, Sagstrom, Kim Share Lead After Round 1
Aug 19, 2021
United States' Nelly Korda looks at her putt on the 18th green during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship, in Carnoustie, Scotland, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Nelly Korda's quest to win her second major in 2021 is off to a fantastic start thanks to her performance in round one of the Women's British Open.
Korda, Madelene Sagstrom and Sei Young Kim are tied for the lead at five-under par. The top of the leaderboard is extremely crowded, with 40 players under parthrough 18 holes.
Sagstrom's showing on Thursday was a pleasant surprise. The 28-year-old hasn't finished inside the top 10 in her 11 LPGA Tour events coming into this week's tournament.
Kim, the No. 4 ranked player in the world, is looking to rebound after a disappointing 38th-place finish at the Evian Championship last month.
Korda is in the midst of the hottest stretch of her career. She won back-to-back tournaments at the LPGA Classic and Women's PGA Championship in June. The latter win marked her first major championship.
A 74 in the first round at the Evian Championship cost Korda a chance at becoming the first player to win consecutive majors since Inbee Park in 2013. The 23-year-old got to five-under par today with eight birdies and three bogeys.
One of her birdies came on the par-five sixth hole. It was the only par five she didn't bogey in the round. She closed the day with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to finish tied for the top spot.
Sagstrom showed more consistency from hole to hole than Korda to match her at five-under par. The Sweden native had four birdies on the front nine, three on the back nine and just two bogeys.
Her long putt on No. 14 to save par was a crucial moment, as she was trying to keep pace with Korda and Kim.
Kim did the bulk of her damage on Thursday over an eight-hole stretch from No. 6 through 14. The 28-year-old had all six of her birdies during that run. Her streak was broken on No. 15 when she hit her only bogey of the round.
Among the players chasing that trio atop the leaderboard, Louise Duncan at four-under par is a surprise. The Scotland native is a 21-year-old amateur playing in her first major tournament, though she showed the poise of a seasoned veteran on this stage.
There have been three amateur players who won the Women's British Open, though none since Marta Figueras-Dotti in 1982.
Another player in contention who, like Norda, is seeking her second major title of the year is Yuka Saso. The 20-year-old won the U.S. Women's Open in June for her first career victory.
Saso is among the group of players tied for fourth at four-under par. Her biggest moment in the first round came on No. 12 when she chipped in just off the green for an eagle.
Defending champion Sophia Popov finished the day with an even-par 72. She did overcome a three-shot deficit after the first round last year to win, and there's still time for her to get back into the mix.
The second round is scheduled to tee off at 1:30 a.m. ET. Kim's group, which also includes Popov, will hit the course at 2:25 a.m. ET. Korda will tee off at 7:49 a.m. ET, followed by Sagstrom's group at 8:27 a.m. ET.
Evian Championship 2021: Minjee Lee Rallies from 7 Shots Down to Win in Playoff
Jul 25, 2021
Minjee Lee from Australia celebrates after winning the Amundi Evian Championship in the French Alps town of Evian-les-Bains, a major tournament on the women's calendar, on July 25, 2021. (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP via Getty Images)
Minjee Lee carded a seven-under 64 to erase a seven-shot deficit and win the 2021 Evian Championship.
Lee finished at 18 under for the tournament and defeated 54-hole leader Jeongeun Lee6 in the first playoff hole to take her first career major championship.
“I never really thought about it [having a chance to win] while I was playing, I just tried to make as many birdies as I could,” Lee told reporters after the round. “I saw the leaderboard maybe once or twice. I just tried to play the best to my ability, and it’s really great to win a major. It’s really amazing.”
Lee6 had seemingly been a shoo-in for her second major championship after carding a second-round 61, but she floundered with an even-par 71.
The first and only playoff hole was a testament to Lee's brilliant fourth round. She stuck her approach within 10 feet to set up an eagle try, while Lee6 sent hers into the water. It was all academic from there, with Lee two-putting for the victory.
American Yealimi Noh finished third at 17 under.
Ayaka Furue was fourth at 15 under, while Atthaya Thitikul rounded out the top five at 14 under.
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 22: Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand plays her second shot on hole 18 during day one of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 22, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
The 2021 Evian Championship kicked off on Thursday, with Pajaree Anannarukarn and Yealimi Noh sharing the lead after 18 holes.
Anannarukarn and Noh finished with matching scores of six under par. There's a large contingent of challengers right on their heels, with five players tied in third place at five under.
Fifty-fiveplayers finished the day in France under par. Nelly Korda wasn't among them, as the world's top-ranked player had a disappointing three-over 74.
The 22-year-old played bogey-free in the first round. Thursday's 65 marks her lowest individual round in any tournament since the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand in May (63).
Pajaree Anannarukarn finishes with a birdie to sign for a 66 (-6) 🐥
This marks Anannarukarn's first appearance in the Evian Championship. She hasn't finished higher than 28th in the previous three Grand Slam events this season.
Even though this is mostly uncharted territory for the Thai, her steady performance right from the jump is a strong indication that she can hang around the top of the leaderboard all weekend.
The same could also be said for Noh. Her only blemish was a bogey on the par-four fourth hole, but she started her day in style with an eagle on No. 1.
“I think it’s the first time I’ve ever done that,” Noh told reporters about her eagle after finishing the round. “I was just like, what? Like OK. It was really cool.”
The San Francisco native has been steadily building toward a round like this under a spotlight this bright. She tied for third at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational last week, including a career-low score of 62 in the second round.
Since the Evian Championship became a major tournament in 2013, the youngest winner of this event was Hyo Joo Kim (19). Noh, who is also 19, would tie Kim if she can leave Evian Resort Golf Club with a victory.
Among the group tied for third place, Emily Kristine Pedersen had two spectacular moments on Nos. 9 and 18. She eagled both holes to bring her overall score to five under.
The Dane hasn't competed in the Evian Championship since 2017. The 25-year-old is playing just her fourth tournament of the year, and 66 is her lowest score in 13 LPGA Tour rounds this season.
While there were several pleasant surprises in the opening round, there are a number of top stars who have work to do Friday if they want to make the cut.
Korda is tied for 99th at three over par in her first appearance since winning the Women's PGA Championship in June. She entered the Evian Championship coming off back-to-back victories. Her worst finish in a tournament this season is 25th at the Pure Silk Championship in May.
Jin Young Ko, the 2019 champion in this tournament, fared slightly better than Korda in the opening round. She is tied for 76th at one over. The South Korean star is coming off a win of her own at the Volunteers of America Classic three weeks ago.
The second round will tee off at 1:30 a.m. ET.
Women's PGA Championship 2021: Nelly Korda Wins 1st Career Major; New World No. 1
Jun 27, 2021
JOHNS CREEK, GEORGIA - JUNE 27: Nelly Korda reacts to her birdie putt on the 14th hole the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club on June 27, 2021 in Johns Creek, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Nelly Korda left no doubt on Sunday. And now she's the top-ranked player in the world.
Korda won her first major tournament after pulling away from the field with a 4-under 68, besting Lizette Salas by three strokes. The two came into Sunday's final round even atop the leaderboard, but Salas couldn't keep up, shooting a 1-under 71.
Hyo Joo Kim (-10), Giulia Molinaro (-10), Danielle Kang (-8) and Patty Tavatanakit (-8) rounded out the top five.
US Women's Open Golf 2021: Yuka Saso Becomes Joint-Youngest Winner in Event History
Jun 7, 2021
Yuka Saso, of the Philippines, plays her shot from the 10th tee during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club, Sunday, June 6, 2021, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
After topping Nasa Hataoka in a playoff at the 2021 U.S. Women's Open on Sunday, Yuka Saso (19 years, 11 months, 17 days) matched Inbee Park as the youngest winner in the history of the event.
At one point, it appeared as though it was Lexi Thompson's tournament to lose, but her lead evaporated, as she shot five over during the course of the final seven holes.
As a result, Thompson didn't even take part in the two-hole aggregate/sudden-death playoff that crowned Saso as the champion at the Olympic Club Lake Course in San Francisco.
Yuka Saso is a U.S. Women's Open Champion! 🏆
Saso is the first male or female from the Philippines to win a major championship!🇵🇭👏 pic.twitter.com/FrOLI8azXn
The 26-year-old Thompson, who built as much as a five-stroke lead over the competition in the final round, fell apart on the back nine and finished the afternoon with a score of three under.
Thompson had a challenger in Saso entering the round, with just a one-stroke lead on the Filipino rising star. But that evaporated quickly as the 19-year-old fell down the leaderboard with a pair of back-to-back double bogeys.
That had her down to a tie for third through six holes, but it hardly seemed like it would matter as Thompson continued her domination.
Other than a bogey on No. 2—which she made up for with a pair of birdies on Nos. 1 and 3, Thompson played a relatively clean front nine that had her up by four strokes over Shanshan Feng by the time she came around the turn.
Feng climbed up the leaderboard from her fifth-place spot, moving back and forth with a carousel of golfers including Megan Khang, Saso and Angel Yin for the spots behind Thompson.
But that battle began to heat up early on the back nine. Thompson double-bogeyed the No. 11 hole, bringing her lead over the smooth-sailing Feng to just two strokes.
She got a bit of breathing room after Feng bogeyed No. 12, but another bogey for Thompson got her back down within two strokes of an encroaching three-way tie for second place.
In that group were Feng, who had been challenging throughout the morning, and Hataoka and Khang, who were both shooting two under through 15 holes to put some pressure on the leader after entering the day in a tie for sixth.
But Hataoka continued her advance. With a birdie on No. 16, she got within one of Thompson, who bogeyed No. 14—her third extra-stroke hole of the afternoon.
Here comes Nasa! 👀@nasagolf7355 cards her third birdie in four holes to move within one of the lead
Saso used a birdie on No. 16 to get herself back in contention, two strokes behind Thompson and one behind Hataoka with two left to play, using her earlier rounds to her advantage as she readied to enter the clubhouse.
But Thompson's late bogey on the penultimate hole changed everything, setting up a battle that would go down to the wire—without her.
US Women's Open 2021: Lexi Thompson Takes over Lead Entering Final Round
Jun 6, 2021
Lexi Thompson plays her shot from the second tee during the third round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club, Saturday, June 5, 2021, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
After her best performance of the weekend Saturday, Lexi Thompson is one round away from winning the 2021 U.S. Women's Open.
Thompson is in sole possession of the lead with a 54-hole score of seven under par. The American star finished with a 66 in the third round, the lowest score of any player in the field.
Yuka Saso, who began the third round atop the leaderboard, fell one spot to second place. She finished with an even-par 71 and is one shot behind Thompson.
Thompson played her first bogey-free round of the tournament Saturday. The 26-year-old had five birdies, including three on the front nine. She also hit nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
The shot that set @Lexi up for birdie and the lead 👇
"I struck it well all day, made a few good putts out there," Thompson said of her performance after the round. "And I guess probably just picking up the missed fairways or missed greens when I did, getting up-and-down or just getting it as far as I could out of that rough."
Saso finds herself looking up at Thompson after struggling on the back nine.
Playing in just her second major tournament, Saso made the turn at one under for the day. She wound up finishing one over on her final nine holes because of three bogeys, including two straight on Nos. 13 and 14.
At one point, Saso did lead by as many as three shots after a birdie on No. 10:
Leader by 3️⃣
Yuka Saso birdies the 10th to move to 8-under at the @uswomensopen
The two biggest changes for Saso on Saturday compared to the previous two days were her struggles to get on the green and convert her opportunities when she got there.
Saso's 10 greens in regulation were her fewest of the tournament thus far. She also hit 28 putts, her most in a single round this weekend.
No other player is within four shots of the lead heading into the final round. Megha Ganne, the 17-year-old amateur, is still in contention at three under. She did have her worst score of the tournament Saturday with a one-over 72.
Ganne's struggles can really be boiled down to two holes. She bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11 after finishing the front nine with a 34.
There are only seven players under par at this point in the tournament. Thompson has an outside shot at tying the all-time record low score at the U.S. Women's Open of 11 under if she has a big Sunday performance.
More important for Thompson, though, will be fighting off Saso as she looks to close out her second career victory in a major tournament.
Thompson and Saso will tee off in the final pairing Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.
