Michelle Wie West Says She Plans to Step Away from Golf, Won't Rule out Return

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).