As a 15-year-old, Michelle Wie West nearly fulfilled her childhood dream. During the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, she made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the men’s 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Historically, the finalists of this tournament received invitations to The Masters. Wie West advanced to the quarterfinals but was defeated by Clay Ogden, who went on to win the championship. But that desire to be at August never went away for Wie West. In 2023, she finally set foot on those fabled grounds, not as a competitor, but as a guest. She called it “magical,” but it wasn’t how she wanted it, as she never made it past the clubhouse area and Berckmans Place. But now she has her moment.

On Saturday, she was in the gallery for the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Her excitement was palpable. “I must have said it a million times, but I was like ‘Wow, so slopey! Wow, so elevated!’” she exclaimed after the round. However, on Sunday, she was in a sundress to attend the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals and walk the hallowed grounds. Seeing the young players compete made her emotional.

“The amazing part about ANWA is that it’s created a platform where now people in the golf industry, outside the golf industry, are knowing these girls’ names,” said Wie West. “It’s become a topic of discussion.” While she soaked in the atmosphere, the realization that the former U.S. Women’s Open winner is also a mother of two quickly hit her.

Sharing a series of her photos from Augusta on her Instagram, she mentioned, “And that’s a wrap on the 2025 Masters week for me! So many great memories, I can’t wait to come back to make more, but most importantly, I can’t wait to get back home and see my fam🥹.”

Having married Jonnie West, the love of her life, on August 10, 2019, she gave birth to Makenna Kamalei Yoona West a year later, and her world shifted. Golf, which had once been her all-consuming passion, took a backseat. She openly shared that being a mom changed her perspective entirely.

“When I found out that I was having a girl, my whole perspective on my career and my life completely changed. Now my goal is: I really just want to be the best example for her,” she told Fortune in 2020. After she initially contemplated retirement, she continued to play, saying that she wanted her daughter to watch her compete. But soon she found out it was getting hard to juggle life as a pro and a new mother.

“As a professional athlete, you are so innately selfish. And as a mom, literally nothing is about you,” she said in a 2022 interview in April, and one month later announced that she would be retiring.

Wie West officially retired from professional golf after the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, and though her decision was influenced by ongoing physical challenges, she desired to take care of her family, especially after the birth of her daughter. Wie West preferred spending time with her daughter over practicing and undergoing rehabilitation.

Early this year, in an exclusive with Golf Digest, she said, “At times, if I do play a lot of golf, I’m just in bed, Or I can’t lift (Makenna) up, and that scared me.” On October 19, 2024, she and Jonnie welcomed their second child, Jagger Jerry YooJun West, and since then, she has been busier than ever. But this isn’t the first time we have seen Michelle Wie West giving priority to her family and loved ones!

Michelle Wie West shares emotional moment with her furry friend 

Just a few months ago, Michelle Wie West shared a heartfelt moment with her furry friend, Gatsby, one of her three beloved pets. As she went on a solo walk with her aging sheepdog, she couldn’t help but get emotional thinking about how much Gatsby had changed over the years. She shared a video on her Instagram, writing, “Getting emotional going on a solo walk with our old man thinking about how his life has changed in the past 5 years and how much older he got in 5 years.” West has three pets, namely, Gatsby, Daisy, and Rome.

This tender moment showcases Wie West’s deep love and attachment to her pets. In 2023, Michelle Wie West took to Instagram to share a health concern about her dog, Rome. He had developed cherry eye, a condition where the third eyelid gland protrudes, creating a red, swollen bump that resembles a cherry. Opening up to her 604K followers, she wrote, “Any advice on getting rid of his cherry eye?” and promptly got a reply from one follower who wrote, “Surgery is about the only option, I believe.” After a consultation, Rome underwent a successful surgery.

With her golfing career firmly in the background, Michelle Wie West is enjoying every moment with her growing family, including her new baby boy, Jagger. While she will cherish the time spent on the Augusta, for now, it is back to family for her.