What do you think is common between Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie West? No, it’s not sport-related at all! Rather, it is the list of injuries instead. The world knows the troubles Woods has had in his legs and back for so many years. But in the past, West has had numerous injuries too, just like the 15-time major champion. Who would have thought that this series of injuries would create a connection between the two? No one!
Recently, West was on Pablo Torre’s Finds Out YouTube channel, and they talked about a lot of things in a 50-minute-long video. As the conversation continued, she discussed her experiences on the professional greens and her battles with injuries. Later in the video, she was also asked “When you run into Tiger Woods what do you talk about? Is there any sort of connectivity between the two of you on the level of like being people who grew up young in the spotlight and had to navigate all of the stuff”
While responding to the question, the 34-year-old came up with an interesting answer and said “No but every time I see Tiger the first thing we go through is the list of injuries that we had I’m like how’s your neck? he’s like how’s your wrist? how’s your back we like go through all the body parts first and be like okay good, good….oh it’s getting better you know, and then we can have a normal conversation.” Later she added that usually, five minutes of their talk is all about the injuries.
Throughout her career in professional golf, Michelle Wie West has achieved 49 top-10 finishes and five career victories on the LPGA Tour. She was also the youngest player to qualify for the USGA amateur championship at the age of 10. Thanks to that, she was once dubbed the next Tiger Woods, but multiple hand and wrist injuries became a major setback for this former pro.
After the birth of her first child, a daughter who she named Makenna Kamalei Yoona West, the 34-year-old announced her retirement from golf at the end of the 2023 LPGA season. Yes, they talk about each other’s health whenever they meet, but West has known about Woods since childhood.
Did Michelle Wie West like Tiger Woods growing up?
In 2023, West joined Golf.com’s podcast and talked about how the 15-time major champion became her role model because of her father. While doing so, she said, “My dad had a photo of his backswing in his wallet, you know, in the clear part of your wallet where you usually put your kids’, like your book photo in there.” As the conversation continued, she further added, “I think I was like forced into loving Tiger as a kid.”
Thanks to her father’s love for the GOAT, West also had swing sequence photos on her bedroom walls, which made her admire Woods. Michelle Wie West might cherish the memory of growing up admiring Woods and being called the next Tiger Woods. What do you think about the friendship between these two?
