ORLANDO, Fla. – Michelle Wie West showcases the powerful golf swing that made her a golfing phenom in the newest season of Lessons with a Champion Golfer, streaming today, exclusively on GolfPass. Wie West joins host Tom Abbott for nine informative sessions that will showcase the swing that made her one of the longest players on the LPGA Tour for more than a decade.
Wie West burst onto the golfing scene as a 10-year-old by becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, an event she, ultimately, won in 2003 at age 13. At 14, she made further headlines by playing against men on the PGA Tour at 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii. She made five Solheim Cup appearances and won multiple tournaments worldwide over the course of her career, highlighted by her victory at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.
This latest season of Lessons with a Champion Golfer was produced on location at Angeles National Golf Club in California. Abbott and Wie West will take viewers through her entire golf bag – from driver to wedges – and will also discuss Wie West’s unique “tabletop” putting style, which helped her win her major championship.
Session themes throughout the nine-part series focus on:
- Putting fundamentals
- Practice routines
- Driving principles
- Driving accuracy and maximizing distance
- Shot shaping
- Mid-irons and fairway woods
- Wedges and short game
- Shots that were keys to victories in competition
- Iron play
As with previous seasons of Lessons with a Champion Golfer, which have featured major winners Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Morgan Pressel and Charl Schwartzel, this new season also will utilize top technology, including a Swing 360 camera, specialty graphics, Toptracer and Trackman stats.
Currently, Wie West is mostly retired from competition, keeping busy with her 2-year-old daughter and husband, Johnnie West, a basketball executive with the Golden State Warriors. Her latest venture is hosting a video series, Driven with Michelle Wie West, for which she interviews athletes about the thirst for competition and their business interests.
GOLFPASS HELPS GOLFERS PLAY MORE AND BETTER GOLF: GolfPass features a vast library of original video content available exclusively as part of a GolfPass membership, including original shows like The Conor Moore Show, On Tour/On Course, My Roots, My Daily Routine, and more. GolfPass also offers a vast instructional library featuring more than 4,500 video titles, including Ask Rory, The Golf Fix, with host Devan Bonebrake; Lessons with a Champion Golfer; and Build a Better Game – all hosted by top instructors like Martin Hall, Chris Como and Michael Bannon, as well as golf fitness expert Don Saladino. Developed in partnership between global golf superstar Rory McIlroy and NBC Sports Next – the innovation and technology division of NBC Sports – GolfPass is designed for today’s golfer and is the only digital golf membership that delivers exclusive content and comprehensive tee-time benefits designed to help every type of golfer – from beginner to expert – play more and better golf. A GolfPass membership is available in North America at GolfPass.com, in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at GolfPass.co.uk, and in Australia at www.GolfPass.com.au. The GolfPass membership also is available via connected TV, iOS and Android apps.
About NBC Sports Next
NBC Sports Next is a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within Golf and Youth & Recreational Sports. Known for its sports technology product innovation, NBC Sports Next equips more than 30 million players, coaches, athletes, sports administrators and fans in 40 countries with more than 25 sports solution products, including GolfNow, the leading online tee time marketplace and provider of golf course operations technology and services; GolfPass the ultimate golf membership that connects golfers to exclusive content, tee time credits, coaching, tips and other benefits; SportsEngine, an industry leader in youth sports club, league and team management technology; Rapid Replay, a video streaming and editing platform; TeamUnify, swim team management services; GoMotion, sports and fitness business software solutions; TourneyMachine, tournament management solutions for youth sports. NBC Sports Next is fueled by its mission to innovate, create larger-than-life events and connect with sports fans through technology to provide the ultimate in immersive experiences.
Dan Higgins
NBC Sports Next
Dan.Higgins@nbcuni.com
407-496-8107