Michelle Wie West responded Friday night to a disgusting story told by former Trump lawyer Rudy Guiliani on a podcast appearance.
Guiliani appeared on former Trump advisor Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast on Thursday. They were on the subject of Rush Limbaugh, the talk-show host who died this week, and Giuliani felt it appropriate to tell a story about when he played golf with Limbaugh and Wie West in 2014.
In telling the story ostensibly about Limbaugh, Giuliani said the group was hounded by paparazzi photographers. However, Giuliani felt the photographers were looking to take pictures of Wie because, at the time, she was using her table-top putting stance which, in Giuliani's words, meant she “ben[t] all the way over and her panties show.”
Definitely not the point, but keep wondering why Rudy called this a joke. What is the punchline? pic.twitter.com/VNKgoq92KS
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) February 19, 2021
Without mentioning Giuliani by name, Wie West, a five-time LPGA winner and the 2014 US Women's Open champion, responded on Twitter, which reads:
— Michelle Wie (@MichelleWieWest) February 20, 2021
"It's unsettling to hear of this highly inappropriate story shared on a podcast by a public figure referencing my 'panties' whilst playing in a charity pro-am. What this person should have remembered from that day was the fact that I shot 64 and beat every male golfer in the field leading our team to victory. I shudder thinking that he was smiling to my face and complimenting me on my game while objectifying me and referencing my 'panties' behind my back all day.
"What should be discussed is the elite skill level that women play at, not what we wear or look like.
"My putting stance six years ago was designed to improve my putting stats (I ended up winning the US Open that year [in 2014]), NOT as an invitation to look up my skirt!
"Nike makes skirts with SHORTS built in underneath for this exact reason...so that women can feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE playing a game that we love."
When Wie West employed the table-top putting stance, she bent over at the waist to look more directly over the ball to putt. She used it with great success, including winning her first major. Wie West gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in June 2020. She is currently on maternity leave.
Guiliani referred to the story as a "joke" after telling it to Bannon, who seemed uncomfortable with what had just happened.