There was a time Michelle Wie West was considered the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour. Her prolific strokeplay was setting the path for her to become one of the greatest golfers in the history of women’s golf. The comparisons with Woods boosted her confidence to perform at the highest level and try to win everything. And in that effort, West also started training intensely like Woods to try and catch up to him.
We all know how big of a toll Woods’s training took on his career as he has failed to maintain optimum health to continue performing at the highest level. That, along with a series of accidents, has turned the 82x PGA Tour winner into a shadow of his former self. Michelle Wie West has also faced the same issues. Only recently has the LPGA Tour pro confessed that she regrets “training like a man”. A few months ago, West also admitted that her injuries had “forced” her to quit professional golf early in 2023. Much earlier than she had planned.
West has often expressed that she is still upset about the trajectory of her career and early retirement. Every bit of the journey that was misdirected catches up to her one way or another. On this occasion, it was a post by @seaneinhaus that caught her attention and made her emotional. The post was titled “A Love Letter to Athletes” and shared a variety of struggles that professionals face when pursuing a career in sports.
The letter talks about the fame and fortune it brings but also the loneliness, frustration, uncertainty, and stress that come with it. The Instagram post ended with an image that simply read “For the love of the game.” It seems that West could relate to each of the posts as she mentioned, “Oh…this hit hard” on her Instagram story while sharing it. The part about the lonely journey on the post received a “Wow the feels, the memories” caption from her.
@seaninhaus’s post about developing two personalities as an athlete and a person received a “Especially when you’re doing this as a kid ” from West. Lastly, the “For the love of the game” had a “ Damn this was powerful and nailed it right on the head” message from the retired player in her stories.
Image Credit: Michelle Wie West Instagram
Michelle Wie West got a bit emotional about the entire write-up. And she has never shied away from expressing herself when she faces tough obstacles. Let’s take a look at another instance where emotions took over for West.
LPGA Tour star Michelle Wie West frustrated with the general disregard for mothers
Michelle Wie West celebrated becoming a mother in 2020 as her daughter, Makenna Kamalei Yoona West, was born. In October 2024, she experienced the joyous moment again when her son, Jagger Jerry YooJun West, came into this world. Her first instance of motherhood was when she was still an LPGA Tour pro. It’s safe to assume that things might have been different back then as she managed the role of a mother and a professional golfer simultaneously.
However, the second time around, West had already retired as a professional golfer. Hence, her experience as a mother is entirely different, as she is completely focused on the upbringing of her son. One of the instances during the past few months made her realize how bad it could get occasionally.
A couple of weeks ago, West shared how people treat mothers differently when they are pregnant as compared to when they have a young child. When she was carrying her son, she was often shown a lot of courtesy, as even strangers cared for her. But ever since her son was born, West shared how “all of a sudden when you are traveling with young kids, people are a–holes.” She was upset with he unfair treatment as she managed taking care of a young child.
What do you think of Michelle Wie West’s recent struggles with emotions? Share your views in the comments section.
The post ‘This Hit Hard’: Golf Legend Gets Emotional Recalling Struggles of LPGA Days Years After Retirement appeared first on EssentiallySports.
