‘Everyone’s Gonna Drop Me’: Michelle Wie West Recalls an Incident With Tiger Woods’ Former Coach That Left Her Fearing for Her Career

Despite retiring from the sport last year, Michelle Wie West remains a big influence on fans through her social media ventures. She regularly posts her content on her podcast and YouTube channel, Golf, Mostly. While her newfound position has made her one of the more vocal athletes in women’s golf, it wasn’t always the same for her. West recently divulged an incident that forced her to respond, for which she initially feared for her career, but it eventually turned out for the good.

Michelle Wie West talks about her fear of getting canceled

In her recent show, West dived into the reservations she was brought up with as a golfer. “We are taught to not makes waves, don’t dishonor the family name, don’t do anything that will cause trouble,” West said.

She admitted to keeping her thoughts to herself in the fear of falling out with sponsors and her family. However, an incident from 2019 changed her perspective when she called out a “white male” who was prominent in the industry.

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West revealed that the person in question had made a comment regarding the women’s game, which angered the 33-year-old. She turned to her keypad and vehemently tweeted against the person, but her heart was in her mouth.

Immediately after her tweet, West feared for the worst. “Oh my god, what did I just do…. My sponsors are going to drop me, my family is going to drop me, everyone’s gonna drop me,” she exclaimed on recalling the situation.

However, in the aftermath of the tweet, several people, including her family and her sponsors, came forward to thank West for her courageous step. According to the former golfer, the chorus relieved her anxiety but also gave her confidence afresh.

Who was the person in question in West’s response?

While West didn’t reveal the person’s identity in her latest conversation on the set, the man who made the clumsy remark was none other than Hank Haney. Once Tiger Woods’s trusted man as his swing coach, Haney has instructed some of the world’s best and has been an influential figure in the sport.

However, his words on the SiriusXM radio show in 2019 did little to elevate his status. On asked about his frontrunners for a succeeding women’s tournament, Haney replied, “I couldn’t name you like 6 players on the LPGA Tour. Nah, maybe I could — well, I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right.”

The words infuriated many, including West. Amidst the backlash, Haney posted a public apology soon, which helped in easing the unrest.

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