Michelle Wie West coming out of retirement to join women’s indoor golf league
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Former basketballer Diana Taurasi (left) and Michelle Wie West on the field before the Goal Cup Celebrity football match at Rawlinson Stadium on Jan 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – Former US Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie West is coming out of retirement to compete in the women’s version of the tech-infused indoor golf league that was created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, organisers said on Feb 23.
Wie West, who exited professional golf in 2023 after a career that included five LPGA Tour wins, is a limited partner of TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Club team that consist of Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Sahith Theegala.
“I’m excited for the chance to compete again through WTGL, which will be a powerful platform for women’s golf,” Wie West, 36, a five-time US Solheim Cup team member, said in a TMRW press release.
“I’m passionate about growing the game, and TGL has proved how new formats through the lens of innovation and creativity can bring golf to a broader audience.
“The team aspect, matched with the unique environment at SoFi Center, is something I want to be part of and it’s going to be incredibly fun to challenge myself, this time alongside teammates, to compete against the best in the world.”
The LPGA and TMRW Sports announced in January the creation of the WTGL, which they said would feature the world’s best women golfers competing across a season of fast-paced, team matchplay at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The current roster of committed WTGL players includes four players in the top 10 of the rankings, including world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, Briton Charley Hull (No. 3), New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (No. 6) and Hull’s compatriot Lottie Woad (No. 9). Other big names are Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson.
In 2003, at the age of 13, Wie West became the youngest competitor to make the cut in an LPGA event and a year later rocketed to fame after nearly making the cut against men in a PGA Tour event. She struggled with injuries and physical ailments throughout her career.
A statement on the WTGL website added: “Wie West is one of the most influential players of all time, nearly two decades after her pro debut at the age of 16. She won five LPGA events, including the 2014 US Open, and earned millions in endorsement deals as one of the faces of the women’s game.” REUTERS
