The WTGL is set to host 10 of the world’s top 25 players in the world rankings. It will host plenty of fan favorites, including Michelle Wie West, who came out of retirement. However, not Nelly Korda, who called the league “a huge and unbelievable miss” for not considering a mixed-gender format. Rose Zhang, though, hopes she will change her opinion by next season.

“I think Nelly [Korda] would obviously be very good for the game. She’s a headline name, so it would obviously bring a lot of attention to WTGL,” Zhang shared, as per Front Office Sports. There’s one condition, she agreed, “If Season 1 goes well, then maybe she would be on board.” The words aren’t spoken in vain.

The World No. 1 golfer has quickly become a mainstream name in women’s golf, driving massive spikes in viewership and multiplying LPGA media impressions whenever she is at the top of the leaderboard. At the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, more than two million fans tuned in to watch her win.

Not only that, Korda’s dominance in 2024—four straight wins—drove LPGA’s media impressions from 4M to 11M weekly. That’s what Zhang is banking on. So, is it hard to imagine she wouldn’t drive the same engagement if she validated WTGL? Unlikely.

The problem is that Korda has been unwilling to buy into the hype. Korda, who is a regular at the mixed-team tournament, Grant Thornton Invitational, hoped for something similar. The thing is, Korda prefers mixed-team formats, but she’s not opposed to WTGL, hence her “mixed feelings.”

But there’s a purpose behind WTGL, too. The LPGA has traditionally struggled to attract golf fans, but a modernized version of the game might hook in casual fans. Even if ten more fans decide to watch the next LPGA tournament, it will be a huge success for the tour.

Meanwhile, looking beyond Korda’s “mixed feelings,” even Rufus Hack, president of golf for TMRW Sports, has talked about it. As per Golfweek, Hack shared, “We had lots of conversations with Nelly and her team, and effectively the decision was made that she wasn’t going to participate in season one.”

Yet, Hack hasn’t lost hope. WTGL plans to run multiple seasons. If that happens, Hack said, “We would love Nelly to be part of WTGL at some point.” But if it’s any relief, the idea of a mixed-team tournament isn’t out of the question.

NBC Sports executive Mike McCarley, and one of the founders of TGL, stated, “I think that is something that’s interesting to us and is interesting to the LPGA and is interesting to a lot of the players we’re talking to, but right now, we’re really focused on building this out and providing, frankly, a nice stage and really nice platform to showcase the players and their personalities.”

There is, of course, another reason Korda is unwilling to commit.

As per the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Korda told Golfweek, “I’m just still weighing out the time commitment. I just haven’t really thought about it too much, because I’ve been really focused on trying to get ready for this season. I think logistically, they’re still trying to figure some stuff out, so I will just weigh out my options in the near future.” That’s a problem even Zhang shared.

“It’s going to be quite a jam-packed schedule. I was looking at it the other day with my team and it’s just a lot of flying back and forth since I am on the West Coast. … But I’m excited,” Zhang told Front Office Sport. The committed players will have to manage the fall schedule and WTGL. In fact, the WTGL will start following the conclusion of the LPGA schedule, piling up stress on the pros.

Meanwhile, Zhang is a member of the New York Golf Club, sharing the team with Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang, Linn Grant, and Yana Wilson. In total, there are five teams, consisting of five players each. Only three will compete in each match. Four teams will reach the playoffs. It will start on November 08 and run through its end on December 23.

What’s to remember is that Korda isn’t overtly against it, which gives Zhang and others enough reason to hope for a changed opinion the next season.