Wie West prepares to step away from full-time golf competition
She's not quite ready to call it a retirement, but Michelle Wie West revealed she has no other plans to compete in professional golf after completing the next two U.S. Women's Opens.
“I don't have any regrets,” the 32-year-old told Golfweek.
Wie West earned a Stanford degree while competing on the LPGA Tour and captured a U.S. Women's Open title, which she said were her two biggest dreams.
“Because I accomplished both of those, “I think I feel very happy in my decision now,” she said.
The world first became introduced to Wie West when, at 10 years old, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Just two years later, she become the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA event and the next year became the youngest to win an adult USGA championship and youngest to make the cut at an LPGA major.
Wie West started competing against men in her early teens, shooting 68 at the 2004 Sony Open, the lowest round ever recorded by a woman at a PGA Tour event. Ultimately she competed in six more PGA Tour tournaments and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links in her quest to play the Masters.
However, her LPGA career was derailed by injuries; she's only played sporadically in recent seasons. It appears Wie West will have no shortage of opportunities outside of golf. Nike didn't cancel her contract at this news but actually extended her partnership for five more years.
SCHWAB CHALLENGE >> World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was one of eight golfers to shoot a 4-underpar 66 in the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Scheffler wound up tied for the lead at Colonial Country Club with Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Harold Varner III, Chris Kirk, Beau Hossler, Nick Taylor and Cam Davis.
Scheffler rebounded from missing the cut at the PGA Championship with a bogey-free round. The Masters champion started his day on the back nine and made three of his four birdies between the 14th and 18th holes.
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP >> Steven Alker and Bob Estes posted 7-under-par 64s to tie for the first-round lead at the Senior PGA Championship in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Colleges
CAL OPENS EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION INTO SWIM ALLEGATIONS >> The University of California, Berkeley has hired the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Tolles to conduct an external investigation into allegations that women's swim head coach Teri McKeever bullied and verbally abused more than 20 current and former Golden Bears athletes, according to a letter the university sent to current team members.
McKeever, the former U.S. Olympic women's swimming team head coach, was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday pending the results of the investigations. SANTA CLARA'S WILLIAMS REMAINS IN NBA DRAFT >> Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams made it official on Thursday that he's leaving the school and will remain in the NBA draft process. Williams was a twotime All-WCC pick. He's projected to be a late-first round or second-round pick. The Broncos haven't had a player selected in the NBA draft since Steve Nash went No. 15 overall to the Suns in 1996.
Gymnastics
NEW LEADERSHIP AT TEAM USA >> Alicia Sacramone Quinn and Chellsie Memmel, teammates on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that earned silver in Beijing, are part of the new leadership paradigm within USA Gymnastics. Memmel will be the technical lead for the women's program. Sacramone will serve as the program's strategic lead. They will be joined in the new system by Dan Baker, who will transition from the elite team women's developmental coordinator to the developmental lead.