TGL was a hit, attracting top pros, millions of views, and viewers over its run. So, when Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy birthed the idea of WTGL, an all-women-led tech league, they probably expected similar enthusiasm. What they got instead was an immediate rejection.
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When Nelly Korda first heard of it, she said she’d think about it. But she still didn’t hide her disappointment. What McIlroy and Woods had planned, she thought (and said), was a “huge and unbelievable miss.” But, despite the multiple arguments against it, everyone believed she’d still join the league.
But she didn’t, as per the latest update. The league announced its founding team members, and it does not include Korda. What it does include is a bunch of other popular names, whom Korda has previously questioned on the matter: “I’m surprised no other girls have, or no one’s really spoken out about it,” she said about a lack of questions regarding the league’s format
A NUCLR Golf post wrote, “The WTGL Golf League has announced the makeup of its 5 founding teams ahead of their upcoming inaugural season. The most notable absence is Nelly Korda, who has not signed up to compete in the virtual golf league.”
Of course, Korda had a few concerns, probably matching those of Scottie Scheffler, as we will talk about in a few. Korda, meanwhile, praised the opportunity but questioned why it didn’t feature mixed-member teams. She argued that adding a huge purse would have been revolutionary. But with no changes in sight, that didn’t come around. There are other reasons, too, but before we look into them, here are the members we will see play come November.
| Team | Players |
| Atlanta Drive | Nataliya Guseva, Charley Hull, Andrea Lee, Minjee Lee, Yuka Saso |
| Boston Common | Celine Boutier, Chizzy Iwai, Megan Khang, Lottie Woad, Ina Yoon |
| Los Angeles Golf Club | Aki Iwai, Alison Lee, Gaby Lopez, Kiara Romero, Michelle Wie West |
| Motor City Golf Club | Brooke Henderson, Jeeno Thitikul, Lexi Thompson, Ruoning Yin, Albane Valenzuela |
| New York Golf Club | Linn Grant, Danielle Kang, Lydia Ko, Yana Wilson, Rose Zhang |
After the teams’ announcement, McIlroy stated, “I’d just like to welcome our LPGA players to Boston Common Golf. To Lottie, Megan, Celine, Ina, Chizzie, welcome to the family. Great to have you on board. I can’t wait to come down and watch you this fall in the SoFi Center. It’s gonna be super exciting.”
The members have combined 112 LPGA Tour victories and 15 major championships to their names. Korda could have added more importance to it, however. But her absence does not mean there’s a fracture in her relationship with Woods and McIlroy. As far as anyone is concerned, it is going well.
What isn’t going well is how Korda feels about it.
“It would have been the first time that men and women were on the same playing field, playing for the same amount of money. But I also think it’s great that we are getting this opportunity, so those are my mixed feelings,” she said in January.
It isn’t like pro golf doesn’t have mixed-gender tournaments to prove the genre’s success. Take the example of the Grant Thornton Invitational, which Korda had repeatedly praised.
About the same, she stated, “[Mixed format] showcases the best women and men coming together and having fun and playing something different, something that we don’t get to do every single day. I think that just brings so much excitement to what the normal golf fans would be seeing.” So, really, why not again?
That’s a question only McIlroy and Woods can answer, especially if they want Korda to commit to the new league.
Meanwhile, the company, TMRW Sports, was founded by sports executive Mike McCarley, Woods, and McIlroy, in partnership with the LPGA Tour. It features five founding franchises backed by prominent sports owners and investment groups. Analysts put each franchise’s value at around $20 million, while TMRW Sports, the league’s parent company, achieved a valuation of nearly $500 million after its Series A funding round.
Not only that, multiple prominent athletes have invested in WTGL. Early June, seven new investors joined the team, including Aryna Sabalenka, Diana Taurasi, and Hilary Knight.
Interestingly, while the women’s version of the tournament is just making its debut, the men’s version has already wrapped up successfully. Regardless, the WTGL will be based on men’s league, including hosting teams like Boston Common Golf, Atlanta Drive Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, and New York Golf Club. The newest and fifth team, Motor City Golf Club, will make its debut in the TGL later this year.
Had it been a mixed gender league, however, it might have attracted a larger number of following and investment for WTGL and, by extension, the LPGA. That’s the crux of Korda’s argument. Well, one of them.
Another one is the format itself. The WTGL will be a fast-paced and mic’d up tournament. Many fans have wondered if the usually shy Korda would be comfortable with that. More importantly, time management is said to be another factor. As per GolfMagic, there are concerns about additional time commitment and logistical demands. If the former is the concern, then Scottie Scheffler can probably relate.
The World No. 1 on the men’s side has never shown enthusiasm for TGL, though he was present at SoFi Center last year. But there are some usual suspects. For one thing, the TGL takes place in Palm Beach, Florida, and Scheffler, along with his wife and two sons, lives in Texas. The travel would be burdensome. If we have come to expect anything out of Scheffler, it is that he’d rather spend free time with his family.
Meanwhile, Korda’s absence from the WTGL rosters comes after she finished tied for 50th at last week’s FM Championship. Still, that result hardly reflects the season the 28-year-old has put together. Korda has already collected four victories in 2026, including two major championships, establishing herself as one of the most dominant players on the LPGA Tour this season.
What McIlroy and Woods need to do is to resolve Korda’s grievances, if they want the world’s best female golfer in their league.