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At one point in her career, Michelle Wie West was considered not just the next big thing in women’s golf, but in women’s sports as a whole.
Wie made her debut on the LPGA Tour at just 14 years old, and turned pro in 2005, shortly before he 16th birthday.
While she didn’t entirely live up to the hype, Wie did have a very successful career. She won five times on the LPGA Tour, including the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014. She also made five appearances on the United States Solheim Cup team.
Unfortunately, injuries were a constant source of trouble for Wie, who retired in 2022 at the age of 32.
Michelle Wie West Says Women’s Sports Don’t Need Charity
Now, however, Wie is one of the most outspoken people, men or women, in the game of golf. In a recent interview with Front Office Sports, she discussed the growth of women’s sports, and how they need to grow organically, not through some sort of manufactured push.
“I think a lot of times women’s sports was seen as charity,” Wie said. “I mean, I’m guilty of saying it too: ‘Oh, we’ve got to show up for women’s sports. We’ve got to support women’s sports.’ And it feels like a charity aspect.
“You’d never say that, like, ‘oh, I need to support the NFL.’ It sounds ridiculous saying it, right?”
Wie went on to describe how women’s sports are simply good business.
She also stated that women’s sports teams and athletes need to start facing similar criticism in the media to men’s sports.
“People shouldn’t feel bad about saying something bad about their favorite sports team, or their least favorite sports team, women’s sports team, or athlete,’ she said. “I like it when we have this conversation. It feels less of a charity aspect versus a real thing that people want to talk about.”
Not everyone will agree. But it’s easy to see Wie’s point of view. And the more women’s sports get discussed as just sports in general, the more they’ll continue to grow.