Michelle Wie West joins WTGL as player, investor

Former U.S. Women's Open champion Michelle Wie West is joining the new WTGL as an investor and a player.

Wie West, 36, a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, made the announcement on Monday.

"As an investor in Los Angeles Golf Club and a fan of TGL, I'm excited for the chance to compete again through WTGL, which will be a powerful platform for women's golf," Wie West said in a release. "I'm passionate about growing the game, and TGL has proved how new formats through the lens of innovation and creativity can bring golf to a broader audience. The team aspect, matched with the unique environment at SoFi Center, is something I want to be part of and it's going to be incredibly fun to challenge myself, this time alongside teammates, to compete against the best in the world."

Wie West won the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. She also finished second at the Women's PGA Championship (2005) and Chevron Championship (2014) and twice tied for third at the Women's British Open (2005, 2017).

The women's version of the tech-infused indoor golf league is set to launch in the winter of 2026 and will operate independently of the men's circuit. Matches will take place at the SoFi Center complex in south Florida.

Other LPGA players who already have committed to play include current World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang, Lottie Woad and the semi-retired Lexi Thompson.

World No. 2 Nelly Korda has not made a decision about participating in the new league.

"I have mixed feelings on it if I'm being very honest, and I'm surprised no other girls have, or no one's really spoken out about it," Korda told Golfweek last month. "I think it's a huge and unbelievable miss that we're not playing alongside the men. There's no greater way to grow the game, and it would have been revolutionary. It would have been the first time, I think, that men and women are on the same playing field, playing for the same exact amount of money. But I also think it's great that we are getting this opportunity, so that's my mixed feelings."

--Field Level Media