2014 was one of the most exciting seasons on the LPGA Tour.
We watched two of the biggest names in golf battle for the opportunity to jump in Poppie’s Pond, the ladies took to the same stage as the men at Pinehurst, and at the center of it all was Michelle Wie.
Despite Lexi Thompson winning the opportunity to don the white robe at Mission Hills, Wie bounced back at home. She won in her next start at the LOTTE Championship Presented by Hershey for her third career win and first LPGA victory in her home state of Hawaii. She would have three more top-10’s before arriving at Pinehurst for the U.S. Women’s Open. After making double bogey at 16 on Sunday, Wie’s three-stroke lead was cut to one ahead of Stacy Lewis who was mounting a charge with a final round 66. Wie drained a 25-footer for birdie on 17 to win her first major championship.
But Wie wasn’t done.
She ended her season with five more top-10’s, finishing the season ranked third in scoring average, GIR and rounds under par. She was also fourth on the money list.
It was a great season. But we’re left wanting more.
For many who clinch that first major title, finding their way back to the winner’s circle has taken time, sometimes years.
After winning the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, Paula Creamer went winless for three years before her dramatic win at the 2014 HSBC Women’s Champions. Both Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis waited more than a year to win again after capturing their first majors. Brittany Lincicome went winless for more than two years and Inbee Park endured a four-year drought before hoisting another trophy. Lexi Thompson has yet to win again since jumping into Poppie’s Pond in 2014.
And the ladies aren’t alone. After cruising to victory at the 2011 U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy went winless for nearly a year before taming the Bear Trap. Bubba Watson waited nearly two years to win again after clinching the 2012 Masters and even Phil Mickelson went winless for nearly a year after making his famous leap on the 18th green at Augusta in 2004.
In her 20 starts since winning at Pinehurst, Wie has four top-10 finishes, all of which came at the end of 2014. She is currently ranked 36th in scoring average, 61st in GIR and 54th in rounds under par compared with her top-3 performance last year.
But what’s to blame for her lack of success in 2015? Wie says it all comes down to one thing: pressure. It’s become both help and hindrance for Wie this season.
“I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself. I think that last year I did a really good job of not doing so,” Wie said this season. “Now that I did it once you get a taste for it and you want to do it again and again, so I feel very motivated.”
Wie says the key to her success last season was consistency, which continues to be a goal for her this season and says she’s happy with her progress so far in working with instructor David Leadbetter on returning to the basics.
“Sometimes I do a bad job of not keeping things simple, and you know, all in all it's a pretty simple game, if you keep it simple. But it can get very complicated very fast. What I'm trying to do is keep my thoughts on focus.”
Next week she heads to the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC, an event she’s played just twice, with a chance again to return to the winner’s circle.
But no matter how long it takes, we’ll be here, watching, and waiting.
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