"Will You Make $1,000?": Michelle Wie West Shares Sweet Moment With Daughter at Tournament
JERSEY CITY, NJ - MAY 30: Michelle Wie West of the United States is interviewed prior the LPGA, Golf Damen Mizuho America s Open at Liberty National Golf Course on May 30, 2023 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAY 30 LPGA Mizuho America s Open EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon23053016421
JERSEY CITY, NJ - MAY 30: Michelle Wie West of the United States is interviewed prior the LPGA, Golf Damen Mizuho America s Open at Liberty National Golf Course on May 30, 2023 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAY 30 LPGA Mizuho America s Open EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon23053016421
Michelle Wie West has resurfaced in the limelight, this time due to an extremely hilarious query from her daughter, Makenna, about professional golf winnings.
Michelle Wie West, the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion, is now preparing herself for future appearances at the Mizuho Americas Open and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open held at Riviera. The veteran's return is already creating some buzz, which pushed her six-year-old to ask an important but adorable question.
“What happens if you win? Will you make $1,000?” West recalled her daughter asking, in an interview with Golf Channel. She replied, laughing, “Yeah, there's a couple more zeros added to that."
The purse for Mizuho has been raised to $3.25 million for this year. Jeeno Thitikul, last year's winner, won $425,000 as prize money. That's a lot more than Makenna's modest $1,000 figure! But she will get to experience a fun time with her mother at the tournament.
Michelle Wie West also told Golf Channel that it has been an amazing experience sharing this adventure with her daughter, helping her realize the importance of golf.
Rebuilding for a Final Farewell on the Fairway
However, the pro admitted that recovering from the psychological and physical strain associated with getting back into competition after initially stepping away from the tour is quite difficult. Towards the end of her last stint, she had gone through some injuries, which she didn't talk about much publicly.
Nevertheless, despite all the effort that goes into training, Wie West has continued to emphasize the pleasure she gets from the whole experience and setting realistic goals for herself.
She remains dedicated to staying calm under pressure, stating, "I'm going to try my best not to be so nervous."
Moreover, about her present condition, West noted: "For me, it's just I'm extremely happy where I am, I'm extremely happy with the work that I've been doing off the golf course.
"The anxiety definitely is there," West said. “But it’s like a good form of anxiety, right? Like I’m super excited to put myself in that position. Just being able to talk about it, honestly, very candidly with my daughter as well too has been really great."
These appearances serve as a meaningful closure to her storied career, allowing her to exit the stage with Makenna witnessing her impact on the sport.
Read more at Club Golf!
Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Afreen Kabir