Thursday, Michelle Wie withdrew during the opening round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open after 12 holes. She is dealing with a right hand injury that she couldn’t battle any longer. “I have been doing everything humanly possible (besides giving it proper rest) this past couple of weeks to get my hand healthy enough to play this event, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” Wie wrote on Instagram after her WD. “I gave it my all today, but I just couldn’t handle the pain any longer.” Wie was 7-over through 12 holes and was clearly hampered by the hand, which was heavily taped during the round. The 5-time LPGA winner also had a tough go the week prior at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. She missed the cut with rounds of 75-72. Wie didn’t provide an exact timetable for her return, simply noting that with the proper treatment, she hopes to be back “stronger than ever." Wie has had a solid 2018 season and has been mostly injury-free. She won early in the year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. However, the 28-year-old has dealt with arthritis for the last couple of years. At the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March she detailed routine collagen injections that she was receiving in New York City to treat the arthritis.<doc-sep>Slideshow ( 2 images ) LONDON (Reuters) - American Michelle Wie was forced to pull out of the Women’s British Open during her first round at Royal Lytham on Thursday because of a hand injury. The 28-year-old managed only 12 holes and was seven over par when she decided she could not go on. She has been suffering with a right hand injury all year. “I just couldn’t handle the pain any longer,” she said on her Instagram account. “I have been doing everything humanly possible (besides giving it proper rest) this past couple of weeks to get my hand healthy enough to play this event, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. I gave it my all today.” Wie, who turned professional before her 16th birthday and is a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, won the Women’s U.S. Open in 2014 and was tied for third at the British Open last year.<doc-sep>Jessica Korda, the top ranked American in this week’s Women’s British Open field, believes shortcomings within her country’s development programme for female golfers is contributing to Asian dominance. Korda, at No 9, is one of just three non-Asian players in the world’s top 12. She will garner more attention from American eyes at Royal Lytham due to the surprise withdrawal from the major of Lexi Thompson. “They just have a better development plan from juniors,” Korda said, before citing South Korea specifically. “Golf is an expensive sport, they [centrally] pay for that. They travel to different countries and play a bunch. I feel like one of the things the US doesn’t have is a national team and somebody to help the girls and boys grow through the process. There are no camps. “Basically the kids play AJGA [American Junior Golf Association] to try and get into college, from college they get jobs. In Korea, I know they play for two years on the Korean LPGA Tour before they even come to the States. So they have already been professionals before they come on tour. You can call them rookies but they might have won 10 times professionally. That’s a huge advantage. “If you see all of the American girls, they might have played a year on the [second tier] Symetra Tour or they are fresh rookies. I feel like the biggest disadvantage for a lot of American players is there’s not a developmental programme, a team of some sort, to help with their game. If somebody sees a little bit of talent in a player and they don’t have the funds to get to all these tournaments, what are they going to do?” Korda, who is seeking a first major title after recent struggles with injury, speaks with the knowledge of other sports. Both her parents were professional tennis players, with Petr Korda a former grand slam champion. “I know the United States Tennis Association is doing a bunch of camps,” she added. “I know that they are taking the kids under their wing, which is great. I would love to see something like that happen for golf.” Kim In-kyung, who will defend the trophy at Lytham, explained the difficulties she has had since winning her first major 12 months ago at Kingsbarns. “I’ve gone through ups and downs emotionally,” she said. “I had very unnecessary expectations of myself. It has been a long process but now I feel like I’ve put in the right amount of work. Now I just need to have fun, that’s how I feel. I think I trust in what I have now.”<doc-sep>The 31-year-old, ranked 115th in the Race to the CME Globe with just just one top-25 finish to her credit in 14 starts this season, is currently the first alternate at this week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open, a championship she has played in the last 13 years. To compete at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, where she finished in third place when the English course last held the event in 2009, she’ll need somebody to withdraw in the next two days.<doc-sep>
US golfer Michelle Wie in action during the opening round of the 2018 Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club (AFP Photo/PAUL ELLIS) Lytham St Annes (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Michelle Wie said she was "devastated" after a longstanding hand injury forced her to pull out during the first round of the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes on Thursday. Playing in frequent rain showers, the 28-year-old American was on seven over par after 12 holes before deciding she could not continue. "I've been doing everything humanly possible to get my hand healthy enough to play this week," she said on Twitter. "But it wasn't enough. I gave it my all today, but I couldn't stand the pain any longer. "I felt if I kept pushing it then I could make it even worse. But I'm devastated to have to pull out mid-round." Lytham has not been a happy hunting ground for Wie. As a 16-year-old, she fell foul of the rules in a bunker at the Women's British Open and incurred a two-shot penalty. Her best finish in the only British major is tied third -- on her debut as a 15-year-old at Royal Birkdale in 2005 and again at Kingsbarns in Scotland 12 months ago. Wie has just one major victory, at the 2014 US Women's Open, but she ended a four-year trophy drought when she claimed the HSBC Women's World Championship in March. "I have been trying to manage the pain all year," she said. "I think it's time to take some time off and get healthy." Last week, Wie missed the cut at the Ladies Scottish Open in Gullane. The mid-round withdrawal by Wie was a major blow for another former US Open champion, Paula Creamer. The American was the first alternate and was hoping someone would pull out before teeing off to allow her into the field.