What was it like to shoot 2 under 68 at the 2004 Sony Open and be a better player than seven major champions? Well, from the looks of it, it was a groundbreaking feat coming from 14-year-old golfer Michelle Wie West. And she received enormous praise for her performance. However, along with all the appreciation, there were opinions that were drastically different and rather harrowing.

People didn’t expect West to compete on the PGA Tour, a men’s league, and have a successful career. There were several opinions about her and what exposure to such an environment would do to her childhood. West revealed that all of that has been kept behind the curtain for so long, which isn’t as beautiful as many would expect.

Michelle Wie West kept going to inspire more women

When Michelle Wie West began playing more on the PGA Tour in the early 2000s, many voices were against it, and the harsh opinions were strong and loud. The disparity between men and women in golf has been a longstanding issue. West’s participation further fueled the debate, as many were resistant to the changes her involvement brought to the sport. Rather than being deterred, the constant criticism fueled her desire to play more.“That’s the reason why I kept playing men’s events,” said West at the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast.

The then 14-year-old West realized that her playing in the men’s league was bigger than herself; it was more about women’s growth in the sport. She started thinking to herself that she was representing all women who were being told they couldn’t do a certain thing because it was unconventional. West said that she thought, “I want to be the voice for those people, for those you know women that are older than me, that are younger than me, and show them that you can,” and do anything that you set your mind to.

However, as West became an inspiration for women, the critical voices grew louder. She was breaking down the barriers between women’s and men’s golf, but people tried to dictate what she should or shouldn’t be doing as a young golfer and had strong opinions about it. The situation escalated to the point where West recalls, “We [she and her parents] got a lot of death threats.”

It was indeed a horrifying experience for West, as on one side she was being criticized for playing golf in the men’s league and then on the other side, she was getting bullied by her peers back in school. Life was tough as a golf prodigy but the 5-time LPGA Tour winner kept going and in the end, became the legendary golfer she is now. Her perseverance in tackling all the negatives was because of her parents and their attempts to keep her adventurous life normal.

Michelle Wie West recalls leading a normal life with success

Shooting a 68 in a men’s event and being better than 47 other pros was not normal. After all, it has never been done again. And Michelle Wie West’s parents knew that about their child, who was more than just a golfer. Thus, they did everything to keep her life outside of the course as typical as it could get.

Many might choose to shield their children due to the success they receive at a young age. For their protection, parents might opt to homeschool them and shield them from the world. However, in West’s case, it was quite the opposite. The 34-year-old told Pablo Torre that her parents made sure that she would turn out ‘normal’ despite the success she achieved in her budding career.

She said, “Even though I was, quote-unquote child prodigy child star, they really put an effort in keeping my life normal.” Her parents wanted her to follow golf and also have good academics so that her life would be a bit similar to others. West reminisced over the early days and said, “I needed to hang out with my friends. I needed to be a kid” to not have all the criticism get to her.

In the end, all the things worked out for West, and despite the criticism she has gained throughout her career, West turned it into fuel and came out to be victorious, on and off the course!