Michelle Wie has won her first LPGA victory since 2010, after rallying yesterday from four strokes behind on the final day of the LPGA LOTTE Championship in her home state of Hawaii.
The 24-year-old managed to win by two shots, finishing at 14-under 274, edging out Angela Stanford, who was leading by four strokes after Friday’s round. Stanford finished second at 12-under 276, and top-ranked Inbee Park finished third with an 11-under 277.
The victory marked Wie’s third in her career on the LPGA Tour, and broke an almost four-year winless streak. It was also her first on American soil. She previously won the CN Canadian Women’s Open in 2010 and the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico in 2009. The win moves Wie into first place on the LPGA Money List, with total earnings of $616,555 in 2014.
The LOTTE victory felt extra sweet for the Korean American golfer because she was born and grew up in Honolulu.
“I think the highlight really was just to come back home,” Wie said, of the tournament held at Kapolei, Oahu. “There really wasn’t just one moment. From the first tee shot that I hit until the last putt that I made, the support that I felt from everyone was unbelievable.”
She gave a great deal of credit to the fans who cheered her on loudly from the gallery.
Wie gets congratulated by fellow golfers on the 18th hole. Image via Getty
“I definitely feel like they willed a lot of shots in today,” said Wie. “It was so much fun. It was fun to get them excited when I made putts. I didn’t want to disappoint them and wanted to make them proud.”
Wie, whose parents are immigrants from South Korea, also took time to acknowledge the recent South Korean ferry tragedy, which has claimed more than 50 lives so far, with hundreds still missing.
“I want to take a minute to really send out good thoughts and prayers to all the families in Korea right now,” she said. “It’s very unfortunate.”
Photo via Getty
