Michelle Wie West joined the inaugural WTGL season in February, with Los Angeles Golf Club as both a player and an investor. But little did she know that her team’s opening clash against New York Golf Club on Sunday at the SoFi Center in Florida would soon become embroiled in controversy. Early in the match, the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion showcased her short game. But things took a turn quickly.

West, who is inactive on the LPGA Tour, later came agonizingly close to an ace on the Annika Sorenstam-designed hole, only for her ball to ricochet off the virtual flagstick. For a moment, almost everyone believed the ball had dropped, including Wie West herself. The 37-year-old dropped to her knees in disbelief, throwing both arms into the air as the realization of what appeared to be a hole-in-one set in.

In another instance, Michelle Wie West struck a 98-yard wedge shot that landed close to the hole before spinning back away from the target. The result clearly frustrated the former LPGA star, who appeared unhappy with how the technology had registered the shot. She was quick to clarify the outcome, saying, “That wasn’t a spinning shot… That was a long shot,” before walking away visibly disappointed.

Despite the mishaps, West’s Los Angeles team managed to secure a 3-1 victory over New York. West teamed up with Alison Lee and Gaby Lopez, and took on New York Golf Club’s trio of Linn Grant, Lydia Ko, and Rose Zhang in front of 1,500 fans. Speaking to the media afterward, however, she quickly backtracked on her criticism.

“I thought it was pretty accurate,” West said when asked about the accuracy of the tech. “Obviously, it’s different from green grass golf. But it’s as good as it can be. It’s definitely a learning curve. It’s not something that we can immediately relate to, especially those smaller shots, especially the rough and shaping shots. But we spent the last couple of days with the people [who] are doing the tech and are in charge of the course conditions. And really getting a feel for it, I think, has helped.”

When asked about her near-ace, West claimed she thought the shot was “definitely in” and was left “very shocked” after learning that it “didn’t go in.” While Michelle Wie West suggests the new tech will need some getting used to, her polite stance on the apparent tech mishap didn’t sit well with the fans. They quickly took to social media to express their frustration over the problem. 

Fans asked WTGL to address “cheap launch monitors”

One user wasn’t just unhappy about the incident at WTGL, but also the TGL. “WTGL and TGL have both have the same complaint…,” the user wrote. “They hate the launch monitor. Michelle Wie was not pleased with the spin on her last shot.” TGL, of course, is the men’s version of the tech-infused, indoor team golf league, which debuted one year and ten months ago.

Another fan alleged that the problem won’t be fixed despite complaints. “Nobody cares about this, but it’s obviously going to keep happening until they upgrade from the cheap launch monitors they’re using, which will never happen,” the fan commented. “There’s a reason you never see Full Swing monitors on ranges at professional events.” 

Someone else roped in Tiger Woods. “It’s widely accepted [that] the technology they use is the worst in accuracy and quality of any major golf sim,” the user posted. “They only use it cause Tiger is a part owner. It ruins the entire league for me personally.” The women’s team event is owned by TMRW Sports, a venture established in 2022 by sports executive Mike McCarley alongside Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Its matches rely on simulator technology powered by Full Swing, a company in which Woods holds a partial ownership stake following his investment in 2015.

The next user demanded that the problem be addressed. “First match of year 3 in the TGL/WTGL, and players are still complaining about how their shots are spinning. That problem has to be addressed,” the user complained. Notably, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas faced similar problems with the simulator. 

Meanwhile, this user mocked the organizers. “Crazy to have an A+ facility and C- tech. Wish Tiger would have gotten some Revelsyt equity,” the user wrote. 

The WTGL is scheduled to feature 10 regular-season matches through December 15, followed by two semifinals on December 20 and 21. The season will then conclude with a best-of-three final series on December 22 and 23. With several matches still to come, it remains to be seen whether organizers will address the growing fan criticism surrounding the simulator technology.