Michelle Wie West Shoots 82 in First LPGA Round in Three Years

Michelle Wie West shot a 10-over 82 in her first competitive round in three years at the Mizuho Americas Open in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The 36-year-old described the round as mentally taxing, saying it took her to a "very dark" place. Her husband spent much of the day talking her off a ledge, she said with a laugh on Thursday after the round.

"Golf can take you places and I went places," Wie West said. "Dark, very dark. It got very grim. Hole two. Hole two, hole three, hole five. No, Seven was good. " She admitted feeling surprised by the level of nerves she experienced despite an accomplished career that includes five LPGA victories and the 2014 U.S. Women's Open title.

Butterflies appeared as soon as she reached the first tee. "I wasn’t nervous going in and then I get to the first tee and I’m like holy (s–t), I now spell my curse words because I’m a mom, and I was like, ‘Wow, the hole all of a sudden looks so small,'" she said.

'" The front nine proved especially difficult. Wie West made three bogeys and two double bogeys to reach the turn at 8-over 44. She improved on the back nine, posting a 2-over 38 with two birdies. A par on the 12th hole, which she said came after four good shots, helped restore some confidence before she birdied two of the next three holes.

Wie West announced her return to competition earlier this year after retiring in 2023. The current event serves as preparation for her final U.S. Women's Open, scheduled for June 4-7 at Riviera Golf Course in California. "Honestly, I’m so happy I played today ahead of U.S. Open," she said.

"As much practice as you can do, as many games as you can play, there’s literally nothing in the world that compares to the first round of a tournament. " >"My husband was talking me off a ledge the whole round. Golf can take you places and I went places.

" — Michelle Wie West, May 2026 (New York Post) The round marked her first competitive action since retirement. She will have approximately one month to build on the experience before competing at the U.S. Women's Open.

West's opening nine holes featured multiple high scores that contributed to her 8-over total for that stretch. She later recounted specific holes that tested her mentally, singling out the second, third, fifth and ninth as particularly difficult. Despite the early setbacks she found a rhythm after the turn.

The back-nine improvement included a pair of birdies that limited further damage and provided a positive note heading into the final month of preparation.

West emphasized that no amount of practice replicates the pressure of an actual tournament round. She expressed satisfaction at gaining that experience well in advance of her final major appearance. The event is allowing her to regain competitive sharpness. She plans to use the roughly four weeks until the U.S. Women's Open to address areas exposed during the opening round.