16 Players Committed to Inaugural TGL Season in 2024 With Nine of the Top-20 Players in the World, TGL’s Committed Players Represent Seven Countries
October 5, 2023 – (Orlando, Fla.) On the heels of last week’s Ryder Cup, victorious European Team members Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry, along with South Korea’s Tom Kim, who made his Presidents Cup International Team debut in 2022, announced their commitment to TGL presented by SoFi. The quartet joins previously announced TGL commits Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel.
TGL presented by SoFi is a new primetime golf league in partnership with the PGA TOUR that will begin play in 2024. This announcement was made by TMRW Sports co-founders Woods, McIlroy, and founder and CEO Mike McCarley.
“The excitement of team golf was on display at last week’s Ryder Cup and we are thrilled to carry some of that momentum into the 2024 TGL season. Not only are Tommy, Tyrrell, Shane and Tom some of the best competitors and players in the world, but all four bring unique personalities to the sport. Momentum and excitement for the TGL continue to soar,” said McCarley.
Tommy Fleetwood (England): Fleetwood, who scored the winning point and performed well at the Ryder Cup with a 3-1-0 record, is currently ranked No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking. A winner of seven events on the DP World Tour, the English 32-year-old was undefeated in Foursomes with a 2-0-0 record and defeated Rickie Fowler 3&1 in the second-to-last group during Sunday’s singles to secure the cup for the European Team.
“I have been excited about the TGL since it was announced. Many of my fondest memories in golf have been playing in team competitions. With the players who have already been announced along with the names and stature of the ownership groups and investors, the league is in position to showcase our sport in a cool format to a new group of viewers and fans,” said Fleetwood.
Tyrrell Hatton (England): Hatton, who has combined for seven wins between the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR, also won his Sunday singles match with a 3&2 victory over Brian Harman. For the week, Hatton was undefeated with a record of 3-0-1.
“I’m very excited to join the boys as part of TGL. It’s great to see golf try something new by playing in customized venue using new technology,” said Hatton. “I am looking forward to getting started to introduce golf to new audiences. There are so many amazing people that are a part of the TGL and I cannot wait to see what team I am going to be a part of.”
Shane Lowry (Ireland): Lowry is a six-time winner between the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR including his 2019 victory at the Open Championship as well as the BMW PGA Championship in 2022. Lowry tied Jordan Spieth to earn a half point for the Europeans and enjoyed winning the Ryder Cup for the first time in his career.
“Everything I’ve heard about TGL is really intriguing. Between Ryder Cups and World Cups, I’ve always enjoyed playing with a partner or for a team. It’s great to see golf being creative and trying new things. I imagine this will be a lot of fun,” said Lowry.
Tom Kim (South Korea): Kim became the first PGA TOUR winner born after 2000 with his maiden PGA TOUR Title at the 2022 Wyndham Championship. His victory at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open made him the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice on the PGA TOUR before turning 21 years old. Kim will return to the Shriners Children’s Open to defend his title next week. While his accomplishments on the course caught the eye of golf fans and other players, his performance, passion and team attitude for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup took him to another level of stardom.
“I’m a firm believer that TGL is going to be an incredible opportunity to reach a younger generation and fans in Korea, specifically. The mix of technology and competition is exactly what friends my age are interested in consuming. To join an incredible list of top players, many of whom I have watched myself as a fan, is a dream come true,” Kim said.
About TGL presented by SoFi
TGL presented by SoFi is a new golf league that fuses advanced tech and live action with teams of PGA TOUR stars across a season of matches in prime time starting on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, on ESPN and ESPN+. SoFi Center is TGL’s purpose-built arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Technology is a foundational element of TGL, offering fans a progressive, shorter format presentation of team golf, featuring some of the PGA TOUR’s biggest superstars. Currently, 16 players committed to playing in TGL have been announced, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Tom Kim and Billy Horschel. With currently 5 of the top 10 players in the world, this initial list of committed players has won 29 major championships, 195 PGA TOUR wins, and collectively has ranked as the World No. 1 for 886 weeks. Additionally, 12 announced TGL players represented their countries last week at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
· TGL Teams: Six teams of top PGA TOUR players in three-player, head-to-head match play.
· Custom-Built Venue: SoFi Center is a first-of-its-kind experience for golf enabled by a data-rich, virtual course paired with a tech-infused, short-game complex.
· Tech-Enabled Fan Experience: High-energy, greenside fan experience with every shot live within a two-hour televised match. All TGL players will be mic’d up.
· Inaugural Season: 15 regular season matches followed by semifinals and finals matches, on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ in the U.S.
Team names, brands, front office staff and assigned players will be unveiled later this year, as will the inaugural schedule and other operational and fan-centric elements of TGL presented by SoFi. Currently four of six team ownership groups have been announced:
· TGL Atlanta: led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores)
· TGL Boston: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins)
· Los Angeles Golf Club: led by Alexis Ohanian (Angel City FC), Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams; as well as limited partners the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco and Michelle Wie West
· TGL New York: led by Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures
About TMRW Sports Group: (pronounced “tomorrow sports”)
Founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and sports executive Mike McCarley, TMRW Sports is focused on harnessing technology to build progressive approaches in sports, media, and entertainment that inspire the modern sports fan to create deeper connections with technology and culture. TMRW Sports’ first project, TGL presented by SoFi, is a new team golf league launched in partnership with the PGA TOUR. TMRW Sports is supported by an all-star roster of athletes, celebrities, and business leaders from the worlds of sports, media, technology, and finance who make up a powerful and diverse investor group. TMRW Sports joins Woods’ TGR Ventures and McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures, and is led by McCarley, founder and CEO. For more, visit TMRWSportsGroup.com.
