Michelle Wie West is set to make her return to the LPGA next week.
After taking maternity leave and, before that, rehabbing a long-bothersome wrist injury, Wie West is in the field for the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration. The Kia Classic will be played next week at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif., and the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the year, will be played the following week at Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif.
Wie has not competed on the LPGA Tour since June 2019, when she missed the cut at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. That week, she talked about retiring with a persistent wrist injury.
Wie West had hand surgery in October 2018 in an effort to repair an avulsion fracture, bone spurs and nerve entrapment in her right wrist and hand. She returned in February 2019 for the Honda LPGA Thailand and then withdrew 14 holes into her title defense at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. After two more starts, she then took two months off to let her wrist and body heal, but she returned too soon.
Wie has faced chronic health problems in her career: neck, back, hip, knee and ankle issues, including arthritis.
However, Wie has been able to have time away from the game to heal. She became a mom for the first time in June 2020 with her husband Jonnie West. While she contemplated returning to pro golf in December for the 2020 US Women's Open, she has chosen to wait until these back-to-back weeks to resume her career.
Wie has done some broadcasting in the intervening time since her last LPGA start, but fans will be excited to see her again inside the ropes with clubs in tow.
