Michelle Wie West is coming out of retirement in 2026, and her first stop in her brief comeback tour is the LPGA Tour event which she hosts.
Wie West has accepted a sponsor exemption to play in the Mizuho Americas Open, played May 7-10 at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
“One of the privileges that comes with being the host of the Mizuho Americas Open is that I, along with Mizuho and the tournament team, review the potential golfers that could fulfill our sponsor exemptions that we add to our field,” said Wie West.
“When I was presented with the idea for me to play, I couldn’t think of a better time to return to the course and compete with the world’s best golfers, as well as have the opportunity to play alongside the top AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) girls.”
The Mizuho Americas Open is a unique tournament on the LPGA Tour schedule, featuring concurrent tournaments: the 120-player LPGA Tour event and a concurrent 24-player AJGA event for elite junior girls to play at the same venue at the same time.
“As the title sponsor, we have the challenge each year of determining who will be awarded exemptions to play in the Mizuho Americas Open,” said Jerry Rizzieri, President & CEO, Mizuho Securities USA and Head of CIB.
“This year, we are thrilled to have Michelle play as one of our sponsor exemptions. We’ve come to know Michelle very well over the past four years and there’s no one who exemplifies the tournament's mission to raise the standard of competition while advancing the next generation of talent more than she does.”
Wie West, a five-time winner on the LPGA, has already announced she'll play in this year's US Women's Open in her final year of eligibility based on the 10-year exemption from her victory at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. The timeline was extended for two years due to a maternity exemption. Wie West and her husband, Jonnie West, welcomed their son Jagger in October 2024.
Jeeno Thitikul will defend her title that she won by four shots a year ago.
