When thinking of some of the greatest women golfers of all time, Michelle Wie West always gets a special mention on the list. With tons of records in her name, the golf star has had a highly decorated career in the game. In fact, she became the youngest player to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and made a unique identity for herself among golf enthusiasts.

However, despite having a beautiful career in her prime years, things have not been that easy for West. Even after being one of the most talented players on the course, the golfer has had tons of disappointing tournament finishes as well. In a recent episode of her podcast, West shared how golf led her to feel extremely “miserable” about herself, followed by her advice to deal with it!

Michelle Wie West opens up about her mental struggles with golf

West, 33, is regarded as one of the biggest stars in women’s golf. The former LPGA Tour ace has made millions of fans for her epic tournament performances and unfathomable victories. However, despite all her incomparable skills, the golfer has faced several hardships in her career. In fact, the game affected the golfer mentally as much as it did physically. And she recently opened up about how such experiences made her feel during her professional days.

In an episode hosted by the golfer and her best friend, Halley Leadbetter, West talked about how the game affected her mental health. “When I played bad when I came back home, I wasn’t allowed to smile…to go out to dinner and have fun with friends,” she said. “It took me a really long time to understand the concept that ‘golf is golf and life is life’”

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She also mentioned how this mindset proved to make her feel bad about herself for a long time after a bad day on the course. “That was like really detrimental for me…It truly got to a point where it affected my mood afterward and that gave me anxiety before.” Similarly, every time she played good golf, it automatically uplifted her mood to a level where she was smiling and having fun.

What is West’s advice to the younger generations of golfers?

The golf superstar continued to speak about how things have changed in the favor of athletes and their mental health. She said, “I am so happy that nowadays it’s acceptable to be strong and to be weak at the same time.” 

The 33-year-old added, “It’s really important for, like, younger generations to understand that you can be happy after a bad round and that doesn’t mean that you care less about the sport. You just need to put things in boxes.”

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What do you think about Michelle Wie West’s take on the importance of prioritizing mental health? Let us know in the comments section.