The “next phase” of Michelle Wie West’s career will not be as a full-time golfer.
The 32-year-old announced Thursday that she’s stepping away from the LPGA Tour full-time following the women’s U.S. Open next week as she embarks on a new chapter.
“I’m so grateful for the past 14 years I spent on tour, traveling the world and competing against the best in the game,” Wie West said in an Instagram post. “Excited to spend more time now on projects that I always wanted to do but never had time for and to continually work to help golf become a more diverse and inclusive space.”
Wie West, who began golfing professionally as a young teen, added Thursday that she will be teaming up with Nike as an athlete collaborator, in addition to becoming a member of the Nike Think Tank “to get more involved with the design process and to work on meaningful projects” with the organization.
“Thank you guys for your support throughout every phase of my life/career, it means so much to me,” Wie West concluded.
Much has changed for Wie West over the last few years, with the Stanford alum marrying Jonnie West, the son of NBA legend Jerry West, in 2019. A year later, the couple welcomed a baby girl, Makenna.
In an interview published Thursday by GolfWeek, Wie West noted how the sport had also taken a toll on her body,
“At times, if I do play a lot of golf,” she said, “I’m just in bed. Or I can’t lift [Makenna] up, and that scared me.”
As for an eventual return to golf, Wie West told the publication, “I’m definitely not ruling anything out.”
Wie West has a total of five LPGA Tour victories and won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014.
