Michelle Wie West is back.
Well, to an extent.
The 36-year-old isn’t rejoining the LPGA Tour full-time, but she’ll instead participate in WTGL, the team-oriented women’s tech-infused golf league that’s modeled after TGL.
“As an investor in Los Angeles Golf Club and a fan of TGL, I’m excited for the chance to compete again 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 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 [in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.] 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.”
Wie West is one of the most popular players in women’s golf history. A five-time LPGA Tour winner and the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion, she was a teenage phenom and played several PGA Tour events in the mid 2000s, most notably multiple Sony Opens in her home state of Hawaii; however, she never made a cut against the men.
Several injuries, though, took a toll on her career. After giving birth to her daughter, Makenna, in 2020, Wie West seldom played. Then, she made her final start at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, missing the cut after consecutive rounds of 79.
“I’ve definitely held back tears the entire round,” Wie West said afterward. “Everything was just incredible.”
Wie West has given back to the game outside the ropes, most notably hosting the LPGA’s Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey. And now, she’ll participate in WTGL, hoping to grow the league’s platform.
It’ll launch during the LPGA offseason (winter 2026–27), and several stars have already committed to the league, such as World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, world No. 3 Charley Hull of England, LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Canada’s winningest golfer Brooke Henderson and seven-time U.S. Solheim Cupper Lexi Thompson.
A network partner has not yet been announced.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LPGA Legend Coming out of Retirement for New Tech Golf League.
