Hawaii’s Michelle Wie West is joining Golf Channel’s Golf Central Live and will start next week at The Players Championship. The news was announced on Wednesday by NBC Universal, which owns Golf Channel.
The news show broadcasts “wraparound news coverage” on-site from some of the game’s most important events. This year that will be The Players Championship — where Wie West will join Kapalua’s Mark Rolfing — along with The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open, the Olympics and Ryder Cup.
Wie West, a Punahou graduate, has won five times on the LPGA tour, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She married Jonnie West — basketball great Jerry West’s son — in August and is expecting their first child this summer.
The 30-year-old missed much of the past two seasons and has not played this year because of a wrist injury. In her off time, she made her broadcast debut as a studio analyst at last fall’s Solheim Cup
“I am excited to join the Golf Central Live from The Players next week,” Wie West said in the press release. “I learned a lot from working with the Live From team at the Solheim Cup and I am honored to have been invited back to be a contributing analyst alongside some of the best for this prestigious event.”
Knight, Larsen to lead clinic
LPGA players Cheyenne Knight and Nicole Larsen will again be the teachers at the Hawaii Tourism Ladies First Clinic at Ko Olina Golf Club April 13. The free hour-long clinic starts at 4:30 p.m.
It opens tournament week for the LPGA’s Lotte Championship, which is April 15-18. Canadian Brooke Henderson is expected back to go after her third consecutive Lotte title.
Knight won last year’s Volunteers of America Classic, two years after claiming SEC Player of the Year honors. Larsen was the 2015 Ladies European Tour Player of the Year and has won four times.
This is their second Ladies First Clinic together.
Rainbow Wahine to hold fundraiser
Rainbow Wahine golf will hold its annual Nine & Dine fundraiser Tuesday, March 31, on the back nine along the ocean at Kaneohe Klipper.
The tournament starts at 3 p.m. and dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. Format is three-person scramble and cost is $600 a team. Hawaii players will be on the course to help drive, pitch and putt at some holes.
Registration deadline is March 26. Contact head coach Stephen Bidne (Bidne@hawaii.edu) for more information.
