Wie West posted photos of the bundle of joy on Instagram.
Michelle Wie West and husband Jonnie West recently welcomed their second child, a son, named Jagger Jerry YooJun West.
Wie West posted photos of the bundle of joy on Instagram.
Jagger’s middle name is in honor of his late grandfather, the legendary basketball player, Jerry West.
Wie West, who retired last year from the LPGA, gave birth to her first child Makenna Kamalei Yoona West in June 2020 and was on the range hitting balls 10 days later.
The 35-year-old Wie West won five times on the LPGA, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She announced news of her second pregnancy last May on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“I mean, the Taylor effect was crazy,” Wie West told Golfweek.
Michelle Wie West isn’t a big football fan, but she told Jimmy Fallon during a recent “Tonight Show” appearance that she started screaming at her phone at the sight of Taylor Swift wearing the diamond bracelet she’d designed for Wove, a jewelry company started by two Army Rangers.
Wie West told Fallon on Monday night that she’d messaged Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to tell him that she’d made an “upscale friendship bracelet” inspired by the beaded ones fans swap at Swift’s concerts. Wie said she’d love to gift one to Swift and didn’t care what she did with it.
After photos of Swift wearing the “TNT” bracelet – which Wie West said stands for Travis and Taylor – began to circulate following the Chiefs’ AFC Championship victory in January, Wie West said the company’s website crashed.
All thanks to Kelce’s assist.
“I mean, the Taylor effect was crazy,” Wie West told Golfweek. “I’ve read about it, but to actually be on the other side of it was like insane.”
The Custom Diamond Friendship Bracelet, also known as the “TNT bracelet worn by Swift,” sells for $5,680. Wie West said they set out to make a more affordable version after the Swift frenzy. The Sterling Silver Custom Friendship Bracelet sells for $290.
“It’s been amazing,” said Wie West. “You know, she is probably the most influential human being on this planet. And, as a woman, to see a fellow woman be able to command that, it’s so inspiring.”
Wie West recently met Swift for the first time at a golf fundraiser in Las Vegas benefitting Patrick Mahomes’ foundation.
“She’s so nice,” said Wie West of the music icon. “She was wearing the bracelet. She was very impressed with the company as well, which I thought was really cool, that she’d read up on the company and there’s obviously a thought process behind wearing something, especially because of what it means. It looked very good on her.”
Wie West, host of this week’s Mizuho Americas Open, was on Fallon’s show to promote her new documentary, “Dream Big: The Michelle Wie Story.” She also took the opportunity to share some exciting personal news.
“My daughter is so excited, she’s telling everyone, like way before we told anyone else,” Wie West told Fallon. “Her teacher called us over, and said ‘Can I talk to you for a second? She was like, are you?’ We did IVF this time and (Makenna) kept saying, ‘Oh, my parents are going to L.A. to get the baby.’ “
Wie West retired from professional golf last summer after teeing it up in her final U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. She won five times on the LPGA, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Her new documentary airs on Saturday, May 18, on NBC.
“They didn’t tantalize my journey or whatnot,” said Wie West of the production company. “They just wanted to be an inspiration. I knew it was something I could show my daughter.”
Integrating juniors was the plan from the start for this purpose-driven event.
Rose Zhang remembers the Friday afternoon weather delay at the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open like it was yesterday. It was her first start as a professional on the LPGA, but she found herself in player dining surrounded by high school friends who’d gathered to talk about college life and the junior golf scene. The kitchen staff at Liberty National Golf Course brought out warm cookies.
“That was honestly a blast,” said Zhang, “even though it was a delay.”
Zhang, of course, went on to make history over the weekend, becoming the first player since Beverly Hanson in 1951 to win on the LPGA in her pro debut. Hanson, incidentally, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in June. Zhang, 20, credits time spent with the juniors in helping her pull off the historic victory. Their presence at Liberty National made her more comfortable.
Rose Zhang speaks during a news conference after a playoff win against Jennifer Kupcho at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Integrating juniors into the Mizuho Americas Open was the plan from the start for this purpose-driven event. Tournament host Michelle Wie West, 34, hoped that relationships would form organically as juniors and pros shared the same locker room, dining room, physio trailer and tee times.
While the LPGA event, held this year May 16-19 in Jersey City, New Jersey, features an elite field of 120 pros, the concurrent AJGA Invitational boasts 24 of the best junior girls in the world. Last year, Yana Wilson won the inaugural junior title alongside Zhang, a close friend.
It was a full-circle moment for Wilson, who grew up attending the LPGA Kia Classic in the San Diego area where she would always follow her favorite player: Wie West.
“I was Michelle’s No. 1 biggest fan growing up,” said Wilson, whose father hails from Wie West’s home state of Hawaii. Wilson even has photos with Wie West from a decade ago.
“I showed them to her at dinner yesterday, probably made her feel old,” Wilson said, smiling.
Wie West grew up on the LPGA, becoming the youngest player to qualify for a tour event at age 12 at the Takefuji Classic. (The record was later broken by 11-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn in Thailand.) It wasn’t long before a teenage Wie West was contending at major championships and playing a global professional schedule. It’s hard to imagine that there’s anything today’s junior stars could ask that Wie West hasn’t experienced.
In fact, that’s Wie West’s biggest plea to the youngsters: Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
“Don’t be shy this week,” she tells them. “This is your chance to like, really get to know your mentors, really get to be with your role models.”
Of course, Wie West admits she often sat by herself or with her team when placed in a similar situation at tour events as a youngster.
“Someone had to come sit with me,” she said. “I was so scared to go up to a table with Juli Inkster and say, ‘Can I sit down?’ ”
Even so, Wie West wants the next generation to be more bold, reminding juniors that LPGA players are most likely waiting for them to ask questions.
“Pros, we like to share our wisdom, especially to a younger generation,” said Wie West, “but we’re not going to go up to someone and say, ‘Hey, do you want to hear five words of wisdom from me?’ It has to come from the juniors.
“The juniors have to initiate it, and that’s what we are teaching them, and I think that’s a great life lesson to be learned as well. To not be scared to ask for advice and for help. That’s something that I think young women should learn. I don’t think we learn it fast enough.”
Michelle Wie West congratulates Rose Zhang after winning the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Last year, most of the questions Zhang fielded were about the transition from high school to college. This time around, she’ll be an official “big sister” at the Mizuho, and the questions will likely shift to what went into her decision to turn professional.
That’s the topic Wilson finds herself broaching most often with professions as the University of Oregon commit hears from tour players who excelled at the collegiate level and those who skipped it altogether.
Of course, there might be players in the field, Wie notes, who leave Liberty National thinking the professional life isn’t for them at all. Perhaps they’ll be inspired to explore one of the many professions that surround the game outside the ropes.
“I want this to be a safe place where you can figure those things out,” she said.
Mentorship programs at the Mizuho, however, aren’t limited to elite juniors.
This year’s tournament will also feature the inaugural Mizuho DrivHER Summit, a day-long program developed in conjunction with Girls Inc. that features speakers such as Wie West, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Stephanie J. Hull, President & CEO, Girls Inc., LPGA and AJGA players as well as Mizuho executives.
In 2023, Mizuho named Girls Inc. as the tournament’s charitable partner and awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant. For 160 years the organization has worked to equip girls, particularly from low-income communities and girls of color, with the knowledge and skills needed to change the trajectory of their lives.
Michelle Wie West plays her shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Last summer, Wie West teed it up in her final U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, even though her 10-year exemption from winning in 2014 technically runs out this year. She admits to playing only three rounds since Pebble, her days filling up quickly as a wife, mom and businesswoman.
The role as tournament host came more quickly than Wie West imagined, but she considers it to be a strong part of her legacy. She saw the passion that mentors like Beth Daniel, Meg Mallon and Karrie Webb had for the tour even after their competitive days had wound down and drew inspiration.
“When I was playing,” said Wie West, “I had nothing in me to give. I was in the mode of survival and trying to be the best player I could. At that point, I just kind of received.
“Then when it was my time to give, I take it very seriously. I mean, the game has given me so much. I just want to make it easier on them.”
When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates.
When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates. So deep, in fact, that it might be some time before we see some big names take the helm.
Stacy Lewis recently named a record four assistant captains for the 2024 Solheim Cup, adding Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome into the fold. Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford return as assistants after working with Lewis last year in Spain.
What does the Solheim Cup committee look for in choosing a captain? Past Solheim Cup experience is a must. While winning a major isn’t a requirement (i.e. Rosie Jones), it’s definitely preferred.
And given how much the Solheim Cup has grown over the years, experience as an assistant captain will surely be seen as a vital component.
The list of players who should be given the honor is so long, in fact, that it’s hard to see how someone like Dottie Pepper gets back into the fold, though it’s certainly possible.
Here’s a list of decorated players who are likely to get the nod in the coming years:
What follows is by no means an exhaustive list of women who have teed it up against the men (on any level, from state amateurs to mini tours) but instead, these are some of the more iconic moments of women teeing it up in a different arena and making history.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — B.J. Wie had a feeling it might go in. Standing to the right of the green, wearing a Nike bucket hat, sweatshirt and high-top golf shoes designed by his daugther, B.J.’s face lit up with joy as a 30-foot putt for par that meant absolutely nothing and everything all at once, dropped in on the 18th at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
As Makenna slept in a stroller by the gallery rope line, Bo Wie clenched a fist and raised her right arm to the sky.
This was it. Quite possibly Michelle Wie West’s last competitive shot. It wouldn’t be a Michelle Wie West ending without some sort of drama, husband Jonnie noted, good or bad.
“The only putt she made of significance all week,” he said, laughing.
Jack Nicklaus said goodbye to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach nearly a quarter century ago. On Friday, two of the most influential women in golf history did the same, with Annika Sorenstam playing alongside Wie West in the first U.S. Women’s Open ever contested at Pebble Beach.
While Wie West enjoyed a sweet finish, Sorenstam’s trip up the 18th was anything but, with a wayward tee shot that required a lengthy ruling and good deal of confusion.
Sorenstam and Wie West, two icons in women’s sport, couldn’t have had more different journeys to stardom. Yet somehow all roads led to a shared tee time, with their husbands on the bag, their kids along for the ride and a bouquet of flowers as they walked off the 18th.
“I definitely held back tears the entire round,” said Wie West as she held her daughter tight.
Sorenstam, the greatest player of the modern era, built her reputation on the back of 10 major championships. The three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion retired for the first time 15 years ago but came back to take part in what has felt like the most impactful women’s major in decades – maybe ever.
Wie West, 33, walked away from playing competitively at last year’s Women’s Open at Pine Needles, but wanted to come back one more time this week with family as her 10-year exemption expires.
Wie West summed up her legacy in the game in one word: bold.
“Made a lot of bold choices in my career,” she said early in the week, “and I’m proud of it. I’m proud of being fearless at times and just doing what felt right.”
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She hopes her story inspires other girls to do the same, noting that she certainly made a number of bad decisions along the way. Mistakes are part of everyone’s story, too.
Walking down the 18th fairway, B.J. said his overwhelming feeling was of relief. He no longer had to worry about his daughter’s injuries. If he could do it all over again, he’d have her hit less balls. More short game.
Wie West had three big dreams: win a U.S. Women’s Open, graduate from Stanford and play in the Masters. Her wildest dream – compete in a men’s major – was the only one she didn’t reach, though her run at the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links was one for the ages as she advanced to the quarterfinals. USGA officials had to borrow gallery ropes from the nearby U.S. Senior Open and bring marshals in to help with the thousands of fans who stormed a typically sleepy championship. A victory at the now defunct APL would’ve secured a special invitation to Augusta National.
Time competing on the men’s stage allowed Wie West to break through to the mainstream media, earning unprecedented amounts of sponsorship money before she even secured an LPGA card.
She was a polarizing figure in the game from the start, as many in the game wanted her to win at every level and take a more traditional route, raising the women’s game with Tiger Woods-like domination.
That, however, never transpired. An injury-plagued Wie West won *only* five times on the LPGA, her crowning achievement coming at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst, where she table-topped her way to victory.
Wie West’s career never did transform the LPGA, but she was a marketer’s dream and a magnet for attention.
Sorenstam’s finish at Pebble Beach doesn’t quite feel as final as Wie West’s because she’ll soon be seen in competition again at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, which she won two years ago.
But this might be the last time Wie West tees it up in anything of note for a long time – maybe ever.
“I’m going to put my clubs in the darkest corner of my garage,” she said, “let it sit there for a little bit. My garden has been unkempt right now … the cucumbers are really coming in, so I’m definitely going to make some pickles.”
That kind of ordinary sounds perfect for someone whose extraordinary talent led to monumental pressure and criticism.
Wie West spent most of her career working on building her personal brand, but to listen to her now, there’s an undeniable shift toward the bigger picture. Much of that stems from being mom to Makenna and wanting more for her.
Sorenstam, ever the competitor, was angry about having to line up a putt for double bogey on her final hole. But that frustration was overridden by her appreciation for the warmth she felt from those watching and where she feels the game is headed.
As Sorenstam prepares for yet another major, Wie West said she’s headed to the spa.
Retirement awaits.
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Here’s a look at some photos from Wie West’s career and of her husband through the years.
Michelle Wie West has had an incredibly decorated career, but at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, it will come to an end.
Wie West will play her last competitive tournament at Pebble Beach, putting a bow on one of the best female careers in the game’s history. Born in Honolulu, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur when she was 10. Wie West also became the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005 and captured her one and only major at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014.
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Wie West married Jonnie West, son of Jerry West and director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors, on Aug. 10, 2019. The couple has one child.
Here’s a look at some photos from Wie West’s career and of her husband through the years.
Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam are in the field, and there’s a chance this might be their last appearances.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – It’s finally here. For the first time in U.S. Women’s Open history, the best women in the world will tee it up at iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links. That it comes at a time when a fresh-faced Rose Zhang is enjoying a meteoric rise in the game is the cherry on top of a weeklong celebration.
The purse will be announced on Wednesday, but in 2022 the field played for a record $10 million with winner Minjee Lee receiving $1.8 million. Karrie Webb was the last player and eighth overall to successfully defend her title in 2000-2001. The last two defending champions have missed the cut the following year.
Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam are among the dozen past champions in the field, and there’s a chance this might be their last appearance in the event. For more on two of the most popular players to ever play the game and more, read on:
Who do you want to watch in future versions of The Match?
Over the last five years, The Match has featured everyone from Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson to stars from other sports such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Charles Barkley and Steph Curry.
With eight editions of the made-for-tv charity golf event now in the books – Curry and Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson lost to the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl-winning tandem of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on Thursday night – we got to thinking … who should be next?
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Check out who else we think would be fun to see in future versions of The Match.
