Jack Nicklaus’ thoughts on Michelle Wie West playing in PGA Tour events, as she signs with WTGL
· Yahoo Sports
Back in 2007, Jack Nicklaus had nothing but good things to say about Michelle Wie West when she played in PGA Tour events.
Michelle Wie West has been a standout name in golf since the early 2000s, though her career tally of just five LPGA wins, including a single major, doesn’t quite reflect her profile.
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That’s why it feels like a significant move for the WTGL to have brought her on board ahead of its first season later this year.
Jack Nicklaus praised Michelle Wie West back in 2007
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesMichelle Wie West caught the public’s attention early in her career, especially after she played in a PGA Tour event at just 14 years old back in 2004.
She went on to play eight PGA Tour events but never made a cut, although she came close during her debut.
Speaking to Golf Digest in 2007, Nicklaus voiced his support for the invitations she received to compete in men’s tournaments.
“Michelle is a terrific talent. I’ve never seen a female golfer with her physical skills who can create so much power under control and with ease,” he said.
“As far as her playing in men’s events, well, she’s selling tickets, she’s creating interest. If sponsors have only so many exemptions, they have a right to give her one, and she has the right to accept. Anybody who has the ability to get on the tour by sponsor exemption – my first tournament on tour, the L.A. Open in 1962, was by sponsor exemption – is qualified.
“On an overall skill level, I don’t think Michelle is quite there yet, and I don’t know if she ever will be. But she’s never going to get there unless she’s given the opportunity and she tries.”
Nicklaus did note that if Wie West didn’t become competitive over time it would lose its appeal:
“But is it going to get stale if she isn’t competitive? Yes. And it’s approaching that. The first four or five times it was okay. But there’s a limit.”
The golf icon also wondered whether starting out at such a young age was helpful for her long-term development:
Michelle Wie West joins WTGL ahead of inaugural season
Michelle Wie West is set to play a full season with the new Women’s Team Golf League, which was launched by TMRW Sports in December 2023.
The WTGL is a new simulator-based league that’s similar to the TGL and its partnership with the PGA Tour, though it’s important to note that they are not directly linked. The league will feature six teams made up of four players each, using match play formats and simulator technology for nine-hole matches in front of live crowds.
They’ve also brought in some high-profile backers, including former US Women’s National Team star Abby Wambach and pop star Niall Horan. Michelle Wie West becomes another familiar face attached to the project.
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