Actress Erin Lim Rhodes still remembers the heavy disappointment on her father’s face after she quit her high school football team. Rhodes says her father wouldn’t even talk to her until one decision changed everything, and that decision had everything to do with golf. It involved the great LPGA star golfer Michelle Wie West, who made it even better.
This particular relationship feels even more special considering the number of hardships the star golfer has faced.
Back in high school, Erin Lim Rhodes was heavily invested in soccer until she lost interest. By the time high school ended, she was “just over it.” It wasn’t an easy decision, however. Rhodes’s father had invested a lot in her sports, no doubt pinning hope on his star daughter who played every kind of game. Laughing, she said her father’s confidence has also to do with him being a Filipino. After this decision, though, he felt “devastated.”
“So, I quit soccer, and my dad is, like, devastated. We’d get into fights about it.” Her mother was more supportive of her thespian journey. “There is now turmoil in the house,” Rhodes continues, “so I say what do I do? So I take up golf to make my dad happy. Because he golfs, my grandfather golfs. It’s just a thing they do.”
It was a good decision. Her school’s golf team only had three girls, and they were looking for more to join. Her relationship with her father improved. Rhodes played golf and propelled herself from the “least best group” to the top one within two seasons. However, after finishing school, she never returned to the greens. While her life on the greens peaked by the time she turned 10 after qualifying for the USGA Amateur Championship, she experienced bullying outside of it due to her larger build compared to kids her age. When she started playing on the men’s tour, the criticism continued, with people calling out every one of her actions. Despite all of this and more, Michelle Wie West emerged as a shining hope for Erin Lim Rhodes.
They had met before at a charity event and “girls’ night out” several times. West asked her if she wanted to join her for the Celebrity Tournament, 8AM Invitational, back in 2024.
Though Rhodes immediately said “hell, no,” she agreed to come along only after West mentioned the fun the tournament would offer. That’s when she had “the best time of my life.” It all clicked for her: this is what golf is about! Rhodes realized that the sport is about camaraderie, spending quality time with people, having a drink, and sharing a laugh. She fell in love with the sport. It was a personal win for Michelle Wie West.
This aligns perfectly with her goal of keeping golf fun. Back in 2023, Wie West stated that she believes anyone who does not play golf for a livelihood should enjoy the game. She added, “Golf is so unique because it connects you with people. There aren’t too many other sports where you get to talk with people and cultivate relationships.” She noted that it’s hard to connect when playing sports like flag football or baseball, saying, “You don’t have the opportunity to chat the way you do when walking with someone, playing [golf] for five hours.”
Undoubtedly, golf brings her joy, now second only to her family. However, this is the same sport that caused her pain throughout her career as Michelle Wie West’s career has been harsh for her. Let’s take a brief look at it.
LPGA star Michelle Wie West and the curse of being one of the best in the sport
Even before she turned 14, in 2003, Wie won the Women’s Amateur Public Links tournament. This victory made her the youngest person ever, male or female, to win a USGA adult event. In the same year, she made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. It is clear by now that Michelle Wie West was a child prodigy. How did her family react to this?
Back in 2024, she sat down for a podcast with Pablo Tarre Finds Out and confessed that, coming from an Asian family, her parents wanted her to pursue academics despite being a golf prodigy. As a result, she felt torn between two different lives. “I grew up with this dual life.” She added that she was battling on the greens against “way older superhero women” while also dealing with the other kids at school. Something that Wie West was quite vocal in her later years of life.
Talking about facing the issues, Wie West said in 2022 via the No-Off Season podcast, “I felt like when I started, mental health wasn’t really talked about. What was talked about was having a champion mindset, being strong, being a warrior. That included never breaking.” She added, “That included never resting. That included laser-focused. So in my mind, seeing that, I felt like to be a champion golfer, I had to have that mindset. I had to have that mindset that never broke, never complained.”
In fact, it was the physical toll of the sport and her desire to focus on her family that led her to retire from golf in 2023. We can only hope that retirement suits this former child prodigy! No wonder Rhodes found a friend in Wie West, as both of them have gone through similar situations. Hence, as mentioned, it was indeed a personal win for her to see Rhodes grow. What do you think of the situation? Let us know!
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