Wie, 27, had been mired in an awful form slump for the best part of two years until she tied for 10th at the Blue Bay LPGA in China three weeks ago.
Plagued by multiple injuries and a subsequent loss of confidence, her form spiralled downwards until her visit to China, where she finally produced a performance she credited to being healthy again and practice.
Wie broke her LPGA duck seven years ago at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, albeit at a different venue than this week's event, a success that was expected to open the floodgates.
As a 14-year-old, Wie had came within a shot of making the cut against the men on the PGA Tour at the 2004 Sony Open, becoming the most famous female player in the game and garnering comparisons with Tiger Woods.
But whereas Woods lived up to his hype, Wie's story was a salutary reminder that there are few guarantees in sport.
After her 2009 breakthrough success, she did not win again until the 2010 Canadian Women's Open, and it was four more years before she notched two more victories in 2014, including the U.S. Women's Open.
(Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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