The Mizuho Americas Open created a new standard on the LPGA Tour before the first shot was struck.
LPGA players competing in the inaugural event received complimentary lodging at the Conrad New York Downtown, a perk that’s unheard of on the LPGA at full-field domestic events. In addition, players will take the nearby ferry each day to the steps of the Liberty National clubhouse, just as the men did for the Presidents Cup and the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust.
“It doesn’t seem like a big deal,” said tournament host and Mizuho ambassador Michelle Wie West, “when you hear of NBA players, they’re chartered everywhere and staying in the Four Seasons every week. But that’s one of the unseen pain points in a female athlete’s career.”
Mizuho Americas, headquartered in New York City, is the fastest-growing region within Mizuho Financial Group, with 55,000 employees and $2 trillion in assets. Sponsoring an LPGA event is the bank’s entrée into the sports marketing space.
“It’s been really amazing to see their commitment to everything,” said Wie West, “and their commitment to do it right.”
The Mizuho Americas Open takes place June 1-4 in Jersey City, New Jersey, and features a field of 120 players vying for a purse of $2.75 million, one of the largest among non-major events.
Jerry Rizzieri, president and CEO of Mizuho Securities USA, said that while they did look at several PGA Tour options for sponsorship, which would’ve been more advantageous in terms of viewership numbers, that’s not what drove the mission. Mizuho views this as a purpose-driven sponsorship.
“Our organization, I feel, has done a good job at creating opportunities for women,” said Rizzieri. “Two of our three largest divisions are actually headed by women. In general, I feel like women are very underrepresented, certainly in our industry, and certainly at the very senior levels. But also I believe that the athletes themselves, whether it be the WNBA or the LPGA, are very much under-appreciated. Not only for their skill, but their dedication.
“When I think about the progress that has been made over the years, it’s certainly commendable, but still, there’s a long way to go.”
Wie West, 33, decided to step away from tour life after last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles. The only event that remains on her competitive golf calendar is the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. Husband Jonnie West has volunteered to caddie at Pebble next July.
“I’ve had a really busy couple months surprisingly,” said Wie West from South Korea. “I said at the beginning of the year, I’m going to start grinding in March and now it’s April, but now I’m going to start grinding in May.”
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Wie West first made national headlines when she became the youngest player to ever qualify for a USGA amateur championship at age 10. She’d go on to become the youngest player to ever qualify for an LPGA event at age 12, the youngest to win an adult USGA championship at age 13 and the youngest to make the cut at an LPGA major when played her way into the last group of the 2003 Kraft Nabisco (now the Chevron), thanks to a third-round 66.
It was her adventures against the men, however, that truly made the 6-foot phenom with the 300-yard drives a household name. In 2004, Wie West shot 68 at the Sony Open, the lowest round ever recorded by a woman at a PGA Tour event. She missed the cut by a single stroke.
She’d go on to compete in six more PGA Tour tournaments, advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links in her quest to play the Masters, and create never-before-seen buzz at U.S. Open sectional qualifying, when she had another legit shot at competing in a men’s major.
Wie West won five times on the LPGA, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, and now steps into her new role as tournament host.
While Wie West won’t be teeing it up at Liberty National, she’s paying close attention to all the aspects that mattered greatly to her on the road — such as food. It’s important to the self-described “foodie” that dining for players and caddies be top notch, including a smoothie station stocked by Happy Viking, a Venus Williams-owned company in which Wie West is an investor.
In fact, a number of Wie West’s partners will be heavily involved in the event, such as Nike giving custom Air Force Ones and sunglasses to all juniors and pros.
One of the most unique aspects of the event — and another first — is the AJGA invitational that will be running concurrently with the LPGA event. Twenty-four of the brightest stars in girls’ junior golf will compete alongside the LPGA’s best with the glimmering New York City skyline as a backdrop.
Wie West views this as a tremendous mentorship opportunity and hopes that many phone numbers are exchanged at the Mizuho. Juniors will be paired with the pros through Sunday’s final round.
“We want to really support the next generation,” said Wie West. “For these girls to really know what it feels like to be a professional golfer. … They’re going to see how nervous these players get, how they handle the pressure down the line.”
