Any good premiere begins with a red carpet treatment — and Sunday afternoon at the WTGL was no different.
As the first six ladies to take part in the brand-new simulator golf league arrived at the Sofi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., they launched the beginning of a brand-new league tradition: the red carpet entrance. One by one, each of the six competitors rolled in showcasing the day’s fits, which ranged from designer options to a very special homage to LPGA history.
Later — after each of the six players had changed into their uniforms and competed in the first WTGL match in league history, a 3-1 win for LAGC over NY Golf Club — the stars of the first red carpet treatment opened up on the idea behind the new tradition, which they said originated with some inspiration from tennis star Naomi Osaka.
“Yeah, I think it kind of relates to Naomi Osaka in tennis and I think that’s so fun,” said LAGC’s Gaby Lopez. “Every single time she walks out, everyone is talking about her outfit. Everyone is just kind of seeing and embracing what she’s done. I think being able to do the same on WTGL is probably one of the key elements to kind of express ourselves out here.”
As Lopez pointed out, golf is one of the few sports without a “stadium-entrance” tradition — which meant the LPGA’s stars had never experienced what it was like to walk the red carpet before a big day.
“It was so fun,” said Michelle Wie West. “I obviously had a lot of fun with it as WTGL too, and I think just — I don’t have much of an opportunity to dress up like that, so it was a lot of fun. I’ve never done that coming to a golf tournament before.”
Silly as it seems, the “walk-in” has earned a place on the sports culture mantel in the 21st century, particularly as athletes from major pro sports leagues have leaned into fashion as a means of expressing their personality. In recent years, that movement has expanded beyond a passion project for a few select athletes into a series of major league initiatives. In 2024, the NFL cemented that effort by hiring the league’s first-ever “fashion editor,” Kyle Smith, who helps the league’s players express themselves through fashion throughout the season.
Recently, the passion has spread to women’s sports, too. The WNBA and women’s tennis have been part of the movement to bring fashion to the forefront for female athletes — a movement that added a new league on Sunday.
“I think this is a fun element to it,” Wie West said. “I hope players really lean into it because I think it can be another way that we can really show our story through fashion. I think that’s so fun.”
Wie West earned honors for the most unique fit of opening day. She showed up wearing an “LPGA Founders” graphic t-shirt made specifically for the occasion. But she wasn’t the only one to be surprised by how much she enjoyed the experience.
“Like Michelle said, I rarely these days get to have my makeup done, hair done and wear heels all at the same time,” said Wie West’s LAGC teammate Alison Lee. “I think it’s been a couple years since that’s happened.”
Lee, who wore an all-denim two-piece with a Gucci Sylvie handbag, said the whole experience was a reminder of one of life’s simpler pleasures.
“It was just nice to get my picture taken, I’m not going to lie,” Lee said.
