Even for such an experienced star as Michelle Wie West there’s nothing like those first tee nerves – which hit her like a train on her return to tournament golf.
Wie West was a bag of nerves as she struggled to a 10-over-par 82 at the Mizuho Americas Open – in her first LPGA Tour event in three years.
And she admitted that things got “dark, very dark – it got very grim” mentally as she struggled with the nerves and pressure of tournament golf.
“It was funny, I wasn’t nervous going in, and I get to the first tee and I’m like holy S-*-*-*. I now spell my curse words because I’m a mom,” Wie West said as she discussed her first round.
“I was like, wow. Hole all of a sudden looks so small. Got to a two-footer and I’m like, I’m not going to hit the hole. No way.”
Wie West was 118th out of 119 finishers after her first round on the LPGA Tour since the 2023 US Open at Pebble Beach.
“I mean, as much practice as you can do, as many money games as you can play, there is literally nothing in the world that compares to the first round of a tournament,” she added.
Wie survives ‘dark places’ in tough return
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Wie West had her husband Jonnie on the bag, and he had to work hard on keeping his wife’s spirits up during her tough return.
“I got so nervy out there. I think I was just shocked at how nervous I got, then double down on these greens are tough. These girls are really good out here.
“My husband was talking me off the ledge the whole round, you know. Golf can take you places, and I went places today.
“I think playing under nerves is a skill. It’s not something you can just wing. There is tools and mechanisms that you can utilize to play under pressure, and that’s practice, too, right?
“So I take that feelings that I felt, the nervy feelings that I felt today, I definitely take that as practice.”
Michelle Wie West on the…
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