Michelle Wie celebrated her 29th birthday last week, but the celebration was short-lived as the LPGA superstar announced on social media on Thursday that she would be sidelined for the remainder of the 2018 season after undergoing surgery on her nagging right wrist.
“After countless MRI’s, X-rays, CT scans, and doctor consultations, I was diagnosed with having a small Avulsion Fracture, bone spurring, and nerve entrapment in my right hand,” Wie wrote. “After 3 cortisone injections and some rest following the British Open, we were hoping it was going to be enough to grind through the rest of the season, but it just wasn’t enough to get me through. So I made the decision after Hana Bank to withdraw from the rest of the season, come back to the states, and get surgery to fix these issues.”
The wrist injury allowed Wie to compete in only three LPGA Tour events since July. After announcing she would be taking some time off in August and September, Wie returned two weeks ago to compete on Team USA in the UL International Crown, helping to lead the team to a second-place finish.
After finishing T66 at the KEB Hana Bank Championship the following week, Wie decided to go under the knife.
“It’s been disheartening dealing with pain in my hand all year, but hopefully, I am finally on the path to being and STAYING pain-free!” she wrote. “Happy to announce that surgery was a success today and I cannot wait to start my rehab so that I can come back stronger and healthier than ever. Huge thank you to Dr. Weiland’s team at HSS for taking great care of me throughout this process and to all my fans for your unwavering support. It truly means the world to me. I’ll be back soon guys!”
Wie captured the fifth win of her career this March at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, her only top-10 finish of the season. She will miss this week’s Buick LPGA Shanghai and three more Asian Swing events as well as the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in November.
