Michelle Wie West: Legends Profile

Who is Michelle Wie West?

Michelle Wie West was one of the stars of women’s golf in the early part of the 21st Century, with a major win and appearances on the PGA Tour to her name.

Born Wie Sung-Mi to South Korean parents in Honolulu, Hawaii in October 1989, she took up the game thanks to her mother’s influence – a former South Korean Women’s Amateur Champion. Her talents showed from a very young age, as she broke records of all kinds in the ‘youngest player to..’ category. She also finished as the Low Amateur in six women’s major championships, doing so at all four of the majors in that era. 

Wie West turned professional in 2005, and played golf on the LPGA Tour alongside completing her studies at Stanford University. She would have to wait four years before she secured her first victory, which came at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Wie West’s only major victory came at the US Women’s Open in 2014, but she had 13 other top-ten finishes, including six top-three results.

She has also played on the PGA Tour on eight occasions, holding the record for female participation on the leading men’s tour. Wie West did so between 2004 and 2008, and is just one of seven female golfers to have done so. 

On the team scale, Wie West played in the Solheim Cup on five occasions, helping Team USA to victory in 2009, 2015 and 2017. She took 3.5 points from a possible four on debut at Rich Harvest Farms, and scored 8.5 points during her Solheim Cup career. That debut came five years after she featured in the Curtis Cup as an amateur.

Michelle Wie West | An Overview

Personal Information

Name: Wie Sung-Mi / Michelle Sung Wie West
Born: October 11, 1989
Nationality: United States
Residence: San Francisco, California, United States

Career

College: Stanford University
Turned Pro: 2005
Professional Wins: 5
Highest World Ranking: 3 – February 21, 2006

Best Results In Majors

Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – 2nd (2014)
– Women’s PGA Championship – 2nd (2005)
– US Women’s Open – WON (2014)
– Amundi Evian Championship – T16 (2015)
– AIG Women’s Open – T3 (2005, 2017)

Professional Wins – 5

2009 (1) – Lorena Ochoa Invitational
2010 (1) – CN Canadian Women’s Open
2014 (2) – LPGA Lotte Championship, US Women’s Open
2018 (1) – HSBC Women’s World Championship

Achievements and Awards

Laureus World Newcomer of the Year – 2004
Rolex Annika Major Award – 2014

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Michelle Wie West

When and where was Michelle Wie West born?

Michelle Wie West was born in October 1989 in Honolulu, in the American state of Hawaii. She got into the game thanks to her mother, who was a former South Korean Women’s Amateur Champion.

When did Michelle Wie West turn professional?

Michelle Wie West turned professional in 2005, before the age of 16. She then went on to study at Stanford University alongside her professional career, but was never eligible to play college golf. 

How many LPGA Tour titles has Michelle Wie West won?

As of early 2024, Michelle Wie West is a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour. The first of those came in 2009, and she went on to win one major title – the US Women’s Open in 2014.

Who is Michelle Wie West married to?

Michelle Wie West is married to Jonnie West, who works behind the scenes for the Golden State Warriors. The pair got married in August 2019, with Wie West giving birth to daughter Makenna in June 2020.

Did you Know?

Major Top Tens as an Amateur

Incredibly, Wie West had four top tens in major championships as an amateur. She finished T9 at the Kraft Nabisco (now Chevron) Championship in 2003, before also finishing Low Amateur in 2004. She has had top three finishes at both the Women’s PGA Championship and the Women’s British Open in 2005.

In total, Wie West was the Low Amateur at six major championships, achieving the feat at all four of the majors at that time (Kraft Nabisco, Women’s PGA, US Women’s, Women’s British).

Playing Against The Boys

Thanks to her stardom in the women’s game, Wie West received sponsors exemptions to play on the PGA Tour on eight occasions between 2004 and 2008. 

Only six other women – Babe Didrickson Zaharias, Shirley Spork, Annika Sorenstam, Suzy Whaley, Brittany Lincicombe and Lexi Thompson – have featured on the PGA Tour. 

Records, Records, Records

Wie West set all sorts of records during the early days of her playing career, mainly by becoming the youngest golfer to win, make cuts and so on… Here are just some of the records that Wie West holds:

• Youngest winner of an adult-sanctioned USGA event (13 – 2003 US Women’s Amateur Public Links)
• Youngest player to make a cut on the LPGA Tour (13 – 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship)
• Youngest player to make a cut in a women’s major (13 – 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship)
• Lowest round by a female in a PGA Tour event (68 – Sony Open 2004 and 2006)

Other Michelle Wie West Articles

Trailblazer Wie West quits LPGA – but it’s not retirement (yet)

What do you think to the career that Michelle Wie West had? Should she have won more? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!