You can take a golfer out of golf, but you can’t take the golf out of a golfer. And this retired LPGA star proves that sentiment perfectly. Five-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie West recently took to Instagram to share the subtle but all-too-familiar side effects of growing up playing golf. As it turns out, it seems every pro golfer can relate.
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“Anxiety about being late because in my brain, being late = DISQUALIFIED,” she wrote.
“Checking the weather like my livelihood depends on it. Wind direction and speed included.
“Knowing the exact location of every bathroom before we start anything…
“Course-management skills activated. Knowing exactly how long everything takes. ‘It’s 17 minutes away, parking takes 6, walking in takes 4…’
“Using golf terms to describe completely normal life situations. Made a mistake? That’s a bogey. Really screwed up? Double bogey. Absolute disaster? Pick it up, we’re moving to the next hole.
“Measuring everything like a golf shot. ‘Yeah, that’s about 200 yards.’
Golf, clearly, has been an integral part of the 36-year-old’s life. And it’s reflected perfectly in the way she came into the sport. At the age of 4, she was introduced to the game by her parents, Byung-Wook and Hyun Kyong Wie, both strong amateur players who had competed in South Korea.
West played her first 18-hole round at age 7 and broke par at the age of 9. She became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship (U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links) at age 10 in 2000. When she finally turned pro, she collected five LPGA Tour wins and a major win in 2014.
However, in 2023, she retired from the sport after the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. Yet, she couldn’t stay away from the sport, making her comeback at the Mizuho Americas Open in May this year and even playing in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club. She failed to make the cut in both tournaments.
The 2026 major was supposed to be her last hurrah, but it appears her thirst for golf continues to influence her daily life. And when she expressed it through the previously mentioned Instagram post, several professional golfers joined her, agreeing with everything she mentioned.
One-time PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin commented: “I do all those things 😂😂.”
Meanwhile, one-time LPGA Tour winner Natalie Gulbis also agreed. “Checking the weather!!! Time & DQ love this,” she wrote.
Internet personality and golfer Cassandra Marie also chimed in. “Yep! Everything is a bogey and always measured in yards 😂,” she claimed.
Azahara Munoz Vickers, a one-time LPGA Tour winner, was also able to relate. “This is def normal! 🤣🤣🤣so on point hahaha,” she commented.
Not to forget, renowned PGA and LPGA professional instructor Trillium Rose was also in agreement. “All of this. All of it,’ she wrote.
Having said that, it appears even life beyond the green is affected by the time these pros spend playing golf. Perhaps West may even consider making another comeback.