When Tiger Woods first announced the launch of TGL (TMRW Golf League), a high-tech, team-based golf league, it was clear this wasn’t going to be traditional golf. With the backing of TMRW Sports (a company co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy), TGL promised a $500 million reimagination of golf through immersive technology. Its primary aim was to blend the intensity of traditional competition with the pace and spectacle that modern audiences crave. But convincing traditionalists to see the vision hasn’t been simple, which makes the enthusiastic support from retired LPGA legend Michelle Wie West all the more meaningful.

Tiger Woods offered a reimagined version of golf

Wie, known for her trailblazing career in women’s golf, admitted she was drawn to TGL from the start in a recent episode of The Deal podcast. But it was not simply because it was attached to Woods’ name, but because of the impressive use of technology that attracted her —“Yeah, I was very intrigued from the moment I heard about TGL when they were incorporating the amount of technology that they are with simulator golf, and you know all sorts of technology.” Wie, along with several others, is a co-owner of the Los Angeles Golf Club, which is one of the six teams in TGL. For Wie, who has often embraced the evolution of the game and its crossover appeal, the use of simulation and advanced tech felt like a natural next step.

She continued to add that the fact that it’s an indoor arena concept makes it all the more attractive for fans and will help with viewership—”I love the aspect of bringing the game indoors into an arena. I think that’s kind of like one thing that golf is so great about, but in terms of spectatorship, live spectatorship, it’s hard. It’s hard as a spectator to go out to the golf course, you know, especially in the summer when it’s hot, to follow your favorite golfer for 5 hours, walking. I think bringing it indoors brings a more casual viewership, more casual spectators into the game.” 

With golf simulators and venues like Topgolf already proving popular with casual fans, TGL’s integration of similar elements into a professional league struck her as a smart, timely move. “With the rise of Topgolf and golf simulators all over the country, I think it just really brings on a fun new twist to the game,” Wie added. While she had heard of all the good things, it was only when she witnessed it live that made her all the more excited for this investment— “I went to one TGL match live, and I was so impressed. I was blown away. I think the tunnel is such a fun idea. It kind of brings in the fun aspects of like NBA, NFL, like that energy into golf, which I think is so refreshing.”

But most importantly, Wie sees TGL not as a replacement for traditional golf but as a dynamic supplement, something that can appeal to younger, more casual fans without alienating traditional golf fans. “I think TGL is a great supplement to, you know, quote-unquote real grass golf. I think it’s just a really fun way that you can see teen sports and professional golf and see these guys’ personalities, and see the technology is pretty cool. I’m excited about it,” Wie expressed. It’s clear that with TGL, Tiger Woods just didn’t pitch her a new business deal, but offered a reimagined version to Wie of what golf could be. But it was not just Wie who was impressed and decided to invest in TGL. The owners of TGL teams include several prominent names.

Tiger Woods brought in star power to TGL

Apart from getting some of the world’s best golfers to take part in TGL, Woods and McIlroy brought in a host of celebrities from the sports world to take ownership of some of the teams. Among the most notable ownership groups is that of the Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC), which is backed by tennis icon Serena Williams, along with her husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Williams is also joined by her sister Venus as one of the co-owners. Alex Morgan, the San Diego Wave FC Soccer player, is a limited partner with LAGC alongside Michelle Wie West.

Apart from these prominent women, another team features Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala as the owners of the Bay Golf Club. These three are members of the Avenue Sports Fund, which owns the Bay Golf Club. Steve Cohen, who owns the New York Mets, is the owner of the New York Golf Club in TGL. Apart from these teams, Tiger Woods owns the Jupiter Links Golf Club along with David Blitzer (owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils), and McIlroy owns the Boston Common Club.