A group of high-profile investors are backing Tiger Woods and Rory, including NBA star Stephen Curry, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, women’s soccer player Alex Morgan, Los Angeles Angels All-Star Shohei Ohtani, entertainer Justin Timberlake and tennis star Serena Williams. A new company from Massilroy plans to launch a tech-enabled golf league in 2024.
At the Tour Championship in August, Woods and McIlroy announced the formation of their company, TMRW Sports. The new league, the TGL, will have players competing in six three-man teams with 15 regular season matches and a playoff starting in January 2024.
The league features two-hour, 18-hole matches played on a virtual course. The matches will be played on Monday nights in prime time at a yet-to-be-determined venue in a custom-built venue.
Investors in the company also include NBA players Andre Iguodala, Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner, Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby and Grand Slam champion Andy Murray.
“Over the past year, we’ve assembled a team of investors who will continue to support TMRW Sports’ mission to positively impact how sports are practiced in the future,” TMRW Sports founder and CEO Mike McCarley said in a statement.
From the beginning, our plan has been to partner with the best in class professionals imaginable, and Tiger, Rory, and I believe in our vision to leverage this unparalleled group of investors, advisors, and ambassadors. Technology to create approaches to sport development.
Other investors include Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Badon, Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren.
According to a rendering released by TGL in August, the locations resemble a simulator where players hit long shots with an actual green area for chipping and putting.
The matches will be held between January and April, and each of the six teams will compete five times in the 15-week schedule.
McIlroy said Woods, 46, plans to compete in the matches. Woods played in just three tournaments last season while recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car accident outside Los Angeles in February 2021.
“Who knows where we’ll see Tiger Woods next to golf, right?” McIlroy said. “We don’t know what his schedule is going to be. We don’t know what his body is going to be like. But to be able to watch him still show his talent on prime time, on TV without any tears or tears. I think to be able to see him on his body, Tiger hitting golf shots and still giving people a glimpse of his intelligence — really. I think it’s a good use of his time.
