Michelle Wie West Makes Big Decision on Golf Career
Michelle Wie West is moving on into a different chapter in her life. The 32-year-old golf star went to Instagram to announce that she's stepping away from the LPGA Tour. In an interview with Golfweek, Wie West said she will play in the U.S. Women's Open next week but would then not take part in any competitions until next year's championship.
"I'm definitely not ruling anything out," Wie West said to Golfweek. In the Instagram post, Wie West said she's looking forward to working on other projects. I'm so grateful for the past 14 years I spent on tour, traveling the world and competing against the best in the game. Excited to spend more time now on projects that I always wanted to do but never had time for and to continually work to help golf become a more diverse and inclusive space.
"Happy to announce that I'll be partnering with [Nike] and [Nike Women] to become their newest Athlete Collaborator and newest member of the Nike Think Tank to get more involved with the design process and to work on meaningful projects with them. Thank you guys for your support throughout every phase of my life/career, it means so much to me."
Wie West turned pro in 2005 when she was just 16 years old and joined the LGPA Tour in 2009. She became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship at age 10. Wie West is also the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. When talking to Golfweek, Wie West said her body can't keep up anymore. "At times, if I do play a lot of golf," she said, "I'm just in bed. Or I can't lift (Makenna) up, and that scared me."
In her career, Wie West won five LPGA Tour events, including the U.S. Women's Open in 2014. She also came in second in the Women's PGA Championship in 2005 and ANA inspiration in 2014. Wie West, who gave birth to daughter Makenna in June 2020, said she's proud of her U.S. Women's Open title and earning her Stanford degree while competing on the LPGA. "Because I accomplished both of those, I think I feel very happy in my decision now," she said. "I think if I hadn't won the U.S. Open, I'd still be out there competing week to week trying to get that U.S. Open win."