Miles Bennett
Michelle Wie West, born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005. In May 2022, Wie West announced that she would be stepping away from golf after the 2022 U.S. Women's Open. She gave birth to her daughter in June 2020 and has since expressed her desire to focus on her family. While Wie West has retired from professional golf, she remains passionate about the sport and is involved in mentoring the next generation of women golfers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Michelle Sung Wie West |
| Born | October 11, 1989 |
| Nationality | American |
| Career | Professional golfer |
| Retired | 2022 |
| Notable Achievements | Youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship; Youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links; Won the 2014 U.S. Women's Open; Five LPGA Tour victories |
| Current Focus | Mentoring the next generation of women's golf; Host of the Mizuho Americas Open; Strategic investor |
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What You'll Learn
Michelle Wie West retires from professional golf
Michelle Wie West, the pioneering American professional golfer, has retired from the sport. Wie West, who began playing golf at the age of four, rose to fame at the age of 10 when she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005, signing a 4-year $20M deal with Nike.
Throughout her nearly two-decade-long career, Wie West faced significant pressure and controversy from fans, media, peers, and observers. Despite this, she achieved numerous accolades, including winning the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in 2004 and her first and only major at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. She also had four other high-profile LPGA Tour wins between 2009 and 2018.
In May 2022, Wie West announced her decision to step away from professional golf following the 2022 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Her final tournament saw her ranked 1,132nd in the world, a significant drop from her highest ranking achieved after her major championship win.
Since retiring, Wie West has shifted her focus to other passions, including her involvement in junior golf and mentoring the next generation of women golfers. She hosted the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open, where she launched a big-sister program between LPGA players and American Junior Golf Association players. Additionally, she has expressed interest in strategic investing and keeping golf fun and social for amateur players.
While Wie West has retired from professional competition, she has not completely ruled out the idea of participating in some competitive golf in the future.
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Wie West's legacy in golf
Michelle Wie West is a former American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. She was born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and began playing golf at the age of four. At the age of ten, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship and the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005 and won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in the same year.
Throughout her career, Wie West achieved numerous milestones and accolades. She became the youngest woman ever to play in the Curtis Cup tournament as part of the victorious U.S. team. In 2005, she accepted a sponsor's invitation to play on the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii, making her the first female golfer to qualify for a USGA national men's tournament. She also competed in several other LPGA and PGA Tour events during her early career, facing both praise and controversy from the media, fans, and peers.
In 2006, Wie West enrolled at Stanford University, where she majored in communications. During her time at Stanford, she continued to play professional golf while pursuing her studies during the fall and winter quarters. She completed her degree in 2012 and participated in the university's graduation ceremony that year.
Wie West's notable achievements include winning her first and only major at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. She also won several other tournaments, including the 2018 HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore. In 2020, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter, and expressed interest in returning to competitive golf.
Wie West announced her decision to step away from professional golf after the 2022 U.S. Women's Open. However, she remains passionate about junior golf and mentoring the next generation of women golfers. She has hosted events like the Mizuho Americas Open and initiated a big-sister program between LPGA players and young golfers. Wie West's legacy in golf is defined by her groundbreaking achievements as a female golfer, her dedication to the sport, and her ongoing contribution to fostering the next generation of golfers.
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Wie West's passion for junior golf
Michelle Wie West is a former professional golfer who has turned her attention to various off-course endeavours, including a passion for junior golf and mentoring the next generation of women golfers.
Wie West began playing golf at the age of four and quickly rose to prominence, becoming the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship at the age of ten. She turned professional shortly before her sixteenth birthday in 2005 and achieved several notable accomplishments throughout her career, including winning the 2014 U.S. Women's Open, her first and only major.
In recent years, Wie West has shifted her focus from competitive golf to other pursuits, including strategic investing and growing women's sports. She has expressed a particular interest in junior golf and has been actively involved in mentoring young golfers, especially girls.
One of Wie West's notable contributions to junior golf is her involvement with the Mizuho Americas Open, where she served as the tournament host. The event featured a mentorship program that paired 24 top junior girls with LPGA players, providing them with the opportunity to practice and interact with professionals in a pressure-free environment. Wie West's own experience of playing in LPGA events at a young age inspired her to create such a space for the next generation of golfers.
Additionally, Wie West has emphasised the importance of golf as a social sport, connecting people and fostering relationships. She has also addressed the challenges of learning golf, acknowledging that it can be intimidating for beginners. Through her work with the partly simulated professional golf league TGL, she aims to make the sport more accessible and inclusive for women.
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Wie West's golfing career
Michelle Wie West is a former American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. She was born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and began playing golf at the age of four. At the age of 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship and went on to become the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005, signing a 4-year $20M deal with Nike.
Wie West's career was marked by both success and controversy. She won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in 2004 and her first and only major at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open, along with four other LPGA Tour wins between 2009 and 2018. However, she also faced criticism for her lack of cuts in men's tournaments, only making one cut at the 2006 SK Telecom Open on the Asian Tour. Despite the publicity surrounding her appearances, many doubted her ability to compete at the highest level.
In May 2022, Wie West announced her retirement from professional golf, citing her desire to spend more time with her family. Her last tournament was the 2022 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach, where she reflected on a great career that began when she was just 15 years old. While she has stepped away from competitive golf, she remains passionate about the sport and is involved in mentoring the next generation of women golfers. She hosted the Mizuho Americas Open in June 2023 and launched a big-sister program between LPGA players and American Junior Golf Association players.
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Wie West's personal life
Michelle Wie West is married to Jonnie West, the son of NBA legend Jerry West. Jonnie is the Director of Basketball Operations for the Golden State Warriors. The couple tied the knot in August 2019 in Beverly Hills, California, and have two children: a daughter, Makenna, born in June 2020, and a son, Jagger, born in October 2024.
Wie West was born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and began playing golf at the age of four. She attended Punahou School in Honolulu and later enrolled at Stanford University in 2007, graduating in 2012 with a major in communications.
Wie West's professional golfing career has been well-publicized and controversial. She turned pro in 2005, shortly before her 16th birthday, and has achieved several notable accomplishments, including winning the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in 2004 and her first and only major at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. However, she has also faced criticism for her lack of success in men's tournaments and for taking away opportunities from other golfers. In 2022, she announced her retirement from professional golf to focus on her family, particularly her daughter's well-being.
Despite her retirement, Wie West remains passionate about golf and is involved in mentoring the next generation of women golfers. She hosted the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open and launched a big-sister program between LPGA players and American Junior Golf Association players. She has expressed interest in returning to competitive golf in the future but wants to prioritize her family commitments.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Michelle Wie West is retiring from professional golf. She announced her retirement in May 2022, and her last tournament was the 2022 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Michelle Wie West is retiring to focus on her family. She has expressed interest in spending more time with her children and being a mother. She has also mentioned that she is shifting her focus to other passions, such as her work as a strategic investor and her involvement in junior golf and mentoring the next generation of women golfers.
Michelle Wie West had a successful career in professional golf, with several notable achievements. She won the U.S. Women's Open in 2014, becoming the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links at the age of 10, and securing five LPGA Tour victories. She also broke into the world of pro golf at the age of 16 with a 4-year $20M deal with Nike.
Since retiring from professional golf, Michelle Wie West has taken on new roles as a strategic investor. She has also remained involved in golf, mentoring the next generation of women golfers and hosting events like the Mizuho Americas Open. She has expressed that she is not completely opposed to competitive golf in the future.
Michelle Wie West is 33 years old as of 2023. She was born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and began playing golf at the age of four.
