PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — B.J. Wie had a feeling it might go in. Standing to the right of the green, wearing a Nike bucket hat, sweatshirt and high-top golf shoes designed by his daugther, B.J.’s face lit up with joy as a 30-foot putt for par that meant absolutely nothing and everything all at once, dropped in on the 18th at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
As Makenna slept in a stroller by the gallery rope line, Bo Wie clinched a fist and raised her right arm to the sky.
This was it. Quite possibly Michelle Wie West’s last competitive shot. It wouldn’t be a Michelle Wie ending without some sort of drama, husband Jonnie noted, good or bad.
“The only putt she made of significance all week,” he said, laughing.
Jack Nicklaus said goodbye to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach nearly a quarter century ago. On Friday, two of the most influential women in golf history did the same, with Annika Sorenstam playing alongside Wie West in the first U.S. Women’s Open ever contested at Pebble Beach.
While Wie West enjoyed a sweet finish, Sorenstam’s trip up the 18th was anything but, with a wayward tee shot that required a lengthy ruling and good deal of confusion.
Sorenstam and Wie West, two icons in women’s sport, couldn’t have had more different journeys to stardom. Yet somehow all roads led to a shared tee time, with their husbands on the bag, their kids along for the ride and bouquet of flowers as they walked off the 18th.
“I definitely held back tears the entire round,” said Wie West as she held her daughter tight.
Sorenstam, the greatest player of the modern era, built her reputation on the back of 10 major championships. The three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion retired for the first time 15 years ago but came back to take part in what has felt like the most impactful women’s major in decades – maybe ever.
Wie West, 33, walked away from playing competitively at last year’s Women’s Open at Pine Needles, but wanted to come back one more time this week with family as her 10-year exemption expires.
Wie West summed up her legacy in the game in one word: bold.
“Made a lot of bold choices in my career,” she said early in the week, “and I’m proud of it. I’m proud of being fearless at times and just doing what felt right.”
She hopes her story inspires other girls to do the same, noting that she certainly made a number of bad decisions along the way. Mistakes are part of everyone’s story, too.
Walking down the 18th fairway, B.J. said his…
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