Three and a half years after retiring from competitive golf, 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie West said Monday she will play in the WTGL, a team golf platform in partnership with the LPGA that will launch next winter.
Wie West’s last competitive event on the LPGA Tour was the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, where she missed the cut after rounds of 79-79.
With five LPGA victories and a major win on her resume, Wie West has long been one of the most well-known players in the women’s game. The now 36-year-old married Jonnie West, director of basketball operations for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, in 2019, and the couple has two children: a daughter, Makenna, born in 2020, and a son, Jagger, born in 2024.
In the years leading up to her retirement, nagging injuries and maternity leave gave Wie West, a Stanford graduate, the space to lean into her entrepreneurial spirit. In 2021, her support helped the LPGA’s #HoodiesforGolf campaign raise more than $350,000 for nonprofits that provide education, access, instruction and equipment to diverse communities. In 2023, Wie West collaborated with Wove to design a bracelet, with profits used to support Maui’s wildfire recovery.
Wie West has also made it a personal mission to invest in businesses owned by minority women, businesses with sustainable eco missions, and businesses that promote diversity. Highlights of Wie West’s portfolio currently include LA Golf, Sportsbox AI, Tonal and Togethxr, a company that aims to increase investment in and media coverage of women’s sports. Wie West is also a Mizuho brand ambassador and tournament host for the LPGA’s Mizuho Americas Open, and was part of the inaugural ownership group for the first TGL franchise, Los Angeles Golf Club, which includes Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.
“As an investor in Los Angeles Golf Club and a fan of TGL, I am excited about the opportunity to compete again through WTGL, which will be a powerful platform for women’s golf,” Wie West said in a press release. “I am passionate about growing the game, and TGL has proven how new formats, through the lens of innovation and creativity, can bring golf to a broader audience. The team aspect, combined with the unique environment at SoFi Center, is something I want to be a part of and it will be incredibly fun to challenge myself, this time alongside teammates, to compete against the best in the world.”
Like TGL, WTGL will offer a season of fast-paced team match play from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. In addition to Wie West, seven other LPGA competitors have already been confirmed: world number 1 Jeeno Thitikul, world number 3 Charley Hull, three-time major champion Lydia Ko, Lottie Woad, two-time major champion Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson.
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