Michelle Wie West is 'coming out of retirement' to join WTGL

Michelle Wie West says she has enjoyed her life as a retired golfer, having stepped away from the competitive game in 2022 and getting to spend time raising her two children. That doesn’t mean, however, she’s lost the golf bug entirely.

On Monday, the 36-year-old former golf prodigy and 2014 U.S. Women’s Open winner announced she will be coming out of retirement, of sorts, to join the WTGL, the women’s tech-based golf league, created in partnership with the LPGA, set to launch next winter. Wie West will be joining a loaded collection of female pros who have signed up, a group that has combined for 66 LPGA Tour wins.

MORE: Nelly Korda criticizes tech-infused league for not creating mixed-team competition, says she’s unsure if she’ll play in WTGL

“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, 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 lamented how playing on the LPGA Tour meant spending too much time away from her family. “You can voluntarily leave the golf course any time you want, but motherhood is a 24/7 gig,” she said back in 2022. Now, she’ll be able to continue living her life with less travel and time away than a regular golf schedule would allow for. The last time Wie West played competitively was at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open.

Suffice it to say, Wie West will have her work cut out for her. She’ll be up against (and/or teaming up with) top talent, such as World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and other top-ranked players such as Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Lottie Woad, Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson.

It’s not as if Wie West has been away from the course for that long. If you’ve booked the right tee time, you might’ve even randomly teed off against her … and gotten your doors blown off. “I don’t know what a handicap is. I don’t even know how it works, and the fact of recording golf scores again terrifies me, so absolutely not,” Wie West said on The Loop podcast. “I always tell people I just play as a scratch, and it pisses people off.”