Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are seemingly willing to merge LIV Golf and the PGA Tour on TGL (Image: AP)
The Tiger Woods-led TGL is set to expand to new locations and could look to sign players from the LIV Golf league – including Jon Rahm, who pulled out of the interactive sim league.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new interactive golf league, TGL, is set to make significant changes, including extending an unexpected offer to players from the LIV Golf league.
Initially, TGL was perceived as a league exclusively for PGA Tour players, stopping short of being a competitor to the Saudi Arabia-backed league. The divide became evident when former Masters champion Jon Rahm pulled out of TGL just weeks before signing his $450 million deal with LIV.
The TGL officially kicked off a week ago in Florida and will resume on Tuesday night with Woods participating in his first game in the interactive sim league. McIlroy is set to play for the first time in a week, against Woods’ Jupiter Links GC.
Despite being only a week old, it appears that TGL is poised for expansion soon, with TMRW Sports co-founder Mike McCarley expressing his belief that the league will extend to new locations.
Currently, the games are held at the SoFi Center in Florida, but officials have already scouted new sites in anticipation of a potential future expansion. Locations in Las Vegas, Southern California, and Scottsdale have all been suggested, according to Sport Business Journal.
In addition to this expansion, McCarley revealed plans to recruit players from LIV, potentially paving the way for Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to return. The report suggests player involvement could be a factor in the ongoing merger discussions between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV.
McCarley emphasized the importance of focusing on their current responsibilities rather than getting caught up in speculation, stating, “I know it’s interesting and I know everyone’s talking about it and I know it’s fun to kind of pontificate on what could or could not be, but we have a job to do. We’ve got to deliver a really compelling product,”.
He also acknowledged the possibility of signing LIV players, saying, “Oh yeah. Yes, absolutely [LIV players could be signed],” but he stressed that their existing operations are already successful, adding, “But the reality is, we have a good business in what we have right now.”
While discussions between the PIF and PGA Tour officials regarding a potential merger continue, Patrick Reed, a former Masters champion, shared his thoughts with Mirror Sport. He expressed his desire for the focus to shift from league rivalries to the sport itself.
Reed said: “Hopefully we can just start focusing on golf rather than PGA Tour vs LIV or DP World Tour vs LIV and more about the guys vs the guys. Obviously some guys didn’t like that some guys jumped and played on a different league, but at the same time I think it has really helped grow the game of golf and showed a different side of it, LIV is different, it is trying to show a different side of golf.”
He further explained the need for innovation in golf to attract younger audiences, saying: “We don’t need another league that is exactly like the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour. We are trying to bring the younger generation into golf. How do you do that? Add music, a team aspect, have it be faster, have it not last as long with a shotgun start, have the concerts. It shows a new side of golf and a newer age.”
“I think golf needs both. Not one or the other golf needs both because the traditionalists will tend towards the PGA Tour, whereas the kids or younger generation who want a faster pace, there is a perfect spot to see that at LIV.”
