Tiger Woods has had an undeniable influence on both the sport and its players. In fact, Woods was the inspiration for Michelle Wie West‘s golfing career. However, constant comparisons to the golfing phenom added pressure to the LPGA pro, who later retired in 2022 to dedicate more time to her family. Her tall stature, at 6 feet. didn’t make things better on the circuit. Recently speaking up on her insecurity, West revealed the quiet strength of motherhood amidst it all.
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In an interview with Gabby Gonzalez, West recalled being extremely tall ever since she was young. By 10, West was already 5’7″ and ~175 lbs, which drew a lot of bullying while she was still in school. Moreover, her early success on the golf course brought visibility from the sport, making her feel self-conscious.
Nicknames like ‘The Big Wiesie’ only added to her insecurity, which made her fall out of love with her body. West shared her struggles with confidence with Gonzalez: “You know, it took me a while to get confident in my height. I was tall very young, and it’s not easy.”
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However, motherhood brought the LPGA legend a whole new perspective. West has a 5-year-old daughter, who is quite tall herself. Being young, Makenna, is still developing her personality. That brings an added layer of responsibility to West. “Yeah, I have a daughter that’s very tall too, so I’m being more aware about how I’m portraying body confidence to her,” West quipped. She understands the struggles of body image issues, which challenge her to fight her own insecurities to set an example of body positivity to her daughter.
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Apparently, this experience has helped her battle her own insecurities, and she feels a lot more confident in her body. “It’s something I’ve learned to love, and I know it gives me an advantage in my sport,” West remarked. In fact, the 6-foot-tall golfer isn’t afraid of wearing heels either. Towering most other figures, West flaunted 5-inch heels only 2 days before the interview.
Sharing the incident with Gonzalez, West added, “I wore 5-inch heels two days ago. It was awful. I don’t recommend it for the pain aspect of it, but I kind of forgot what it felt like to be that much taller than everyone else. I kind of loved it.”
That story brings out West’s self-growth and the changes in her mindset since she first began playing in the LPGA circuit. While she no longer competes herself, West urges the young golf girls to embrace this change and a positive outlook. Sharing her tips for the golf girls, West emphasized the need to seek out help, instead of trying to figure it all out by themselves. West added, “It’s fun to dress up, kind of lean into that. Get lessons early on. Just skip over trying to figure it out yourself.”
The LPGA pro is already instilling these lessons in her daughter, Makenna.
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Michelle Wie West on raising Makenna
Michelle West is a proud mother, and her daughter is no less of a prodigy than her. The couple shares two kids, the older of whom is their daughter at 5 years old. However, the young girl is already commanding the golf course and tennis courts. Makenna plays many sports, including golf, tennis, T-ball, and is starting basketball. Well, that isn’t surprising, given West’s perspective on sports. “Sports is just such an amazing thing for kids to be a part of. It teaches you so much,” West shared.
Michelle admits she and her husband can’t help but analyze Makenna’s swing, often freeze-framing her impact position at night. Even renowned coach David Leadbetter has been impressed, exchanging messages with Michelle about the young girl’s form. While still only 5, Makenna’s growing passion for golf reflects the same natural talent her mother displayed as a child. But this time, Michelle is determined to nurture it with balance, joy, and confidence rather than pressure.
