Three and a half years after retiring from competitive golf, the 2014 US Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie West said Monday that she will do so at WTGL, a team golf platform in partnership with the LPGA that will begin this coming winter.
Wie West’s last competitive event on the LPGA Tour was the 2023 US Open Women’s in Pebble Beach Golf Linkswhere she missed the cut after posting rounds of 79-79.
With five LPGA wins and one major win on her resume, Wie West has long been one of the most celebrated 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 have two children together: 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 endorsement helped the LPGA’s #HoodiesforGolf campaign raise more than $350,000 for nonprofit organizations that provide education, access, instruction and equipment to diverse communities. In 2023, Wie West in partnership with Wove to design a bracelet, the proceeds of which were used to help with Maui fire recovery.
Wie West has also made it a personal mission to invest in women-owned minority businesses, businesses with sustainable eco-missions and companies that promote diversity. Wie West’s portfolio highlights currently include LA Golf, Sportsbox AI, Tonal and Togethxr, a company that aims to increase investment 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, consisting of 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 once again compete through WTGL, which will be a powerful platform for women’s golf,” Wie West said in a press release. “I’m passionate about growing the game and TGL has proven how new formats through the lens of innovation and creativity can bring golf to a wider audience. The team aspect, matched with the unique environment at SoFi Center, is something I want to be a part of and it will be extremely fun to challenge myself, this time with the best teammate in the world.”
Like TGL, WTGL will feature a season of fast-paced, team-based games from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. In addition to Wie West, seven other LPGA participants have already been confirmed: Jeno world number 1 titleWorld No. 3 Charley Hull, three-time major champion Lydia Ko, Lottie Woad, two-time major champion Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson.
