Michelle Wie West did not hide behind polite answers after her long-awaited comeback went awry. The 36-year-old’s return was supposed to be a meaningful homecoming ahead of her U.S. Women’s Open appearance. However, returning to the course after so long was bound to have some consequences, and she was blunt in her self-assessment.

“Dark, very dark. It got very grim,” Michelle Wie West said after opening the Mizuho Americas Open with 10-over 82.  “Oh, hole two. Hole two, hole three, hole five. Seven was good. Hole nine was—that was dark,” she added while talking about her first bogey on the second hole and then two more on the third and fourth. She picked up a triple on the fifth and a double on the ninth.

The nerves actually kicked in on the first tee itself. “Holy S**t,” West was blunt when asked on how it felt to hit the first shot after three years. Ironically, she wasn’t nervous at all minutes before that, hoping her muscle memory would sail her through. But the moment her name was announced, she understood it’s not going to be easy. While it was very grim, she revealed that she slowly composed herself and actively looked toward the positive side of things.

“Because on hole 12, although I did four-putt, I told Johnny [West, her husband and caddie for the week], all four of the putts felt really good,” she added. “So from then on, I really started to feel a lot of confidence using the tools and mechanisms that I know will bring me back.”

The Mizuho Americas Open is the first event she has played on the LPGA Tour in around 3 years. But it clearly wasn’t a great start. She finished second-to-last on the leaderboard.

This included just two birdies, five bogeys, two double bogeys, and a triple bogey. The triple bogey came on hole 5, while the two double bogeys came on holes 9 and 11. She birdied on holes 13 and 15 and bogeyed on holes 14 and 16.

After turning pro in 2005, Wie West started her LPGA career in 2009. She continued to play on the Tour regularly until 2018 and then significantly reduced her schedule since 2019. Then, she retired from the LPGA Tour in 2023 after playing the U.S. Women’s Open because of injury concerns and wanting to be there for her family. Now, she has committed to playing the major one more time.

While it was a very dark round for her, it was not all bad. Her goals of tuning her game before appearing at the Riviera were fruitful. She announced that she won’t putt right-hand low based on her experience during the first round of the $3.25 million event. Instead, she is committing to the claw.

From this nervous opening, she also went on to a touching gesture during Round 1. A boy and his dad followed her from hole 1 to 18, which, she said, made her day. So, when she met the boy between the 14th green and 15th tee, she handed him a golf ball. It is a regular practice for her, to hand out golf balls to many individuals whenever she is playing.

She tried to hand one to Yana Wilson, too, several years back, when Wilson was a little kid and watching the American professional play. Michelle Wie West revealed that Wilson declined to take the golf ball.

The legendary golfer will likely bid farewell to competitive golf after playing this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. However, she has already found someone who will carry on her legendary status on the LPGA Tour.

Michelle Wie West praises Nelly Korda for her efforts on the LPGA Tour

Ahead of the Mizuho Americas Open 2026, Michelle Wie West was asked about Nelly Korda and her dominance. She had nothing but praise for her.

“Yeah, she’s unbelievable. The talent that she possesses in her pinky alone is unbelievable,” she said.

Of the 6 starts Korda had this year, she won thrice, including the Chevron Championship 2026. In the remaining three, she finished runner-up. This stretch helped her get back her World No. 1 position by dethroning Jeeno Thitikul.

While Wie West praised her skills, talent, and form, she also praised the LPGA Tour. According to her, everyone is trying to support her in showcasing her personality, beyond her on-course persona. Michelle Wie West believes players like Nelly Korda are pushing the LPGA Tour into a new era.

Yet her own return at the Mizuho Americas Open showed the emotional and physical demands that still come with competing at the highest level. Even through a “very dark” round, the former U.S. Women’s Open champion found small positives that could help her prepare for one final major appearance at Riviera from June 4–7.