GOLF: Wie West coming out of retirement to join women's indoor golf league

Former U.S. Women's Open champion Michelle Wie West is coming out of retirement to compete in the women’s version of the tech-driven indoor golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, organizers announced on Monday.

Wie West, who retired from professional golf in 2023 after a career that included five LPGA Tour wins, is a limited partner of TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Club team, which features Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, and Sahith Theegala.

“I’m excited for the chance to compete again through WTGL, which will be a powerful platform for women’s golf,” said Wie West, a five-time U.S. Solheim Cup team member, in a TMRW press release.

“I’m passionate about growing the game, and TGL has shown how innovative formats can bring golf to a broader audience.”

The LPGA and TMRW Sports announced the launch of the Women’s TGL (WTGL) in January. The league will feature the world’s best female golfers competing in a season of fast-paced, team-based match play at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The current WTGL roster includes four players ranked in the world’s top 10: Jeeno Thitikul (No. 1), Charley Hull (No. 3), Lydia Ko (No. 6), and Lottie Woad (No. 8).

Wie West first made headlines in 2003 at age 13 when she became the youngest competitor to make the cut in an LPGA event. A year later, she nearly made the cut in a PGA Tour event against male players. Despite struggling with injuries and physical ailments throughout her career, she remained a prominent figure in women’s golf. -Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters