Following the path of Tiger Woods is a dream of many golfers today. Inspired by his journey, many pushed themselves to perfect the art. So, Woods can be credited for some success stories. Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, and Lydia Ko, all of them, admitted that Woods was their biggest idol growing up. However, some stories started promisingly but turned into a disappointment. One such story is that of Michelle Wie West.

We know she was touted to be the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour on multiple occasions. During her early years, she caught a lot of attention from the media, who saw Tiger’s glimpses in her. Even the LPGA Tour published an article that confirmed how the young Wie West was on the same path as Tiger. However, West had confessed that following her biggest idol’s extreme methods to better herself was what derailed the trajectory of her career. While the retired golf star could only achieve 5 LPGA Tour victories, her early success was still an inspiration to young girls who were looking for their role models. That’s what made West bring her admiration for Woods back into the conversation.

The upcoming 2025 Mizuho Americas Open marks the return of Nelly Korda after 10 days of sabbatical. It also brings Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Ko back on the field as they make their first appearance since the 2025 Chevron Championship disappointment. However, the biggest surprise will be the return of Michelle Wie West in action. She won’t be at the Liberty National Golf Club as a player but instead as the host.

Leading up to the first round, West, Korda & Co. got the opportunity to meet the young golfers who will be participating in the Pro-Am. The field will include amateur stars like Asterisk Talley, defending champion Gianna Clemente, and many others. On the Tuesday of the tournament week, West joined the press conference where she was asked, “Last night at the welcome party, you had the opportunity to meet a player who showed a photograph of you and her when she was just five years old. Now she’s playing as a junior in the Mizuho Americas Open. What does this moment say about the lasting impact you’ve had on this generation of golfers?” While the details of the junior are not revealed, West did share what it felt like remembering the time she met her.

Responding to the journalist, the retired pro said, “I think it’s really cool. A, it made me feel really old, but the work we do as athletes, I think, is extremely important. Empowering the next generation to follow their dreams, a lot of times, when we’re actively playing, is a very subconscious effort. That’s why I think this tournament is so cool.”  Despite having stepped away from the sport, West was grateful that she could still contribute to the stories of the young golfers and inspire them.

Speaking of inspiration, the 35-year-old also mentioned how she was inspired to pursue her dream as a young golfer. West added, “I remember watching Tiger on TV, watching Se Ri (Pak) on TV when I was really young, and being like, hey, that looks really cool. Then you take the next step. Your parents take you to a tournament, and you get to watch real athletes in person. Then you’re like, Okay, I really want to do this.” While mentioning Woods, West also gave credit to another one of her role models, Se Ri Pak. The LPGA Tour legend had 25 career victories to her name, including 5 major wins. She is widely considered one of the greatest women golfers in history.

Continuing to talk about the great opportunity the juniors will receive at the upcoming Pro-Am event, she said, “This tournament to me is so important because these young girls, impressionable young girls starting their careers, get to be inside the ropes with their idols. That takes it to another level. It’s amazing. I love taking my daughter to events. I think it’s really important to have strong female role models, especially in our daughters’ lives. So it was really cool seeing her yesterday. I definitely remember her coming. She was cute. It’s really cool to see her in the tournament.” 

West is playing her part as a role model exceptionally, as she is guiding the young players in the right direction. With her contribution to this week’s LPGA Tour Pro-Am event, many junior players will certainly find a lot of inspiration from her journey and push to become big stars on the LPGA Tour in the future.

Speaking of the Mizuho Americas Open, this is not the first time Michelle Wie West will host the tournament, since she has an interesting connection with this Liberty National event.

Michelle Wie West: From getting inspired by Tiger Woods to turning into a role model herself

It has been a couple of years since Michelle Wie West retired. Her last appearance on the LPGA Tour was way back in 2023 at the Women’s US Open. However, just a year before her last adventure on the course, the LPGA Tour had announced that West had formed a partnership with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and the Liberty National Golf Club to host the event in 2023. Ever since then, she has been present at the tournament.

Just a few days ago, the LPGA Tour made another major announcement. Mizuho Americas has confirmed that they have extended its title sponsorship agreement for another five years. That means the tournament hosted by Michelle Wie West will be on the LPGA Tour calendar until 2030. What’s more? From 2026 onwards, the purse of the event will be increased from $3 million to $3.25 million. This will be one of the largest prize money for a LPGA Tour event outside of the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship.

From taking inspiration from Tiger Woods to playing a leading role in securing a lucrative event for five more years, Michelle Wie West has come a long way over the years.