The latest domino to fall in Michelle Wie’s long and tumultuous road back to the LPGA Tour is her official withdrawal from next week’s U.S. Women’s Open.
Posting to her Instagram page, Wie said that while she is making progress in her recovery from an injured hand that she had surgically repaired in late 2018, only to aggravate the same injury earlier this year.
Wie Taking Extended Break From Professional Golf
“While I’m making progress with my recovery, I have decided to withdraw from the US Women’s Open,” Wie wrote on Friday. “It was a difficult decision to make because the US Open was one that I was looking forward to playing in all year, but my recovery and health is the priority.
“Thanks so much for all the messages of support – they really keep my spirits up. I am hopeful that I’ll be seeing you all back out on Tour very soon!”
Wie had surgery on her right hand in October 2018 to treat an avulsion fracture, bone spurs and nerve entrapment in her right hand.
Wie returned to the LPGA Tour four months after her surgery, but in her second event back — a title defense of the HSBC Women’s World Championship — she was forced to withdraw due to lingering pain in her surgically repaired hand.
The 2014 U.S. Women’s U.S. Open Champion was eyeing a return to the event that has been her lone major victory, but it appears advice from those closest to her won out.
“She’s almost like a daughter, I’ve known her so long,” Wie’s swing coach, David Leadbetter, said last month. “You hate to see this. It’s tough to watch. This is pretty serious. Your hands are everything, and you don’t want this to become career ending.
“I’m trying to talk her out of (playing in the U.S. Women’s Open) .Who knows how the U.S. Women’s Open will be set up, but you would think there is going to be thick rough. I’ve been advising her to take as much time off as she needs and get this right, because there’s no point in coming back and reinjuring it, where you could be right back at square one.”
