TGL, the new golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is set to expand ahead of the second season, with Alexis Ohanian pushing for a women’s expansion team
CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis is rallying behind Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, as he champions the addition of a women’s expansion team in TGL, the fresh golf league initiated by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
TGL has surpassed initial expectations in its inaugural season, with Justin Thomas’ Atlanta Drive Golf Club clinching the first championship. With six teams having competed in the opening season, Mike McCarley, the business partner of Woods and McIlroy, disclosed that there’s a surge of interest from potential bidders eyeing expansion opportunities.
Ohanian, co-founder of Los Angeles Golf Club with Williams, is keen on sealing a partnership with the LPGA to establish an all-women’s team. In a recent detailed discussion about his ambitions for TGL, Ohanian expressed his vision, prompting Balionis, a prominent figure in golf reporting, to share the clip on her Instagram story with applause emojis, signaling her support for his initiative.
READ MORE: Donald Trump makes his feelings clear on Stephen A. Smith and his potential presidential runREAD MORE: New England Patriots plane flown to Guantanamo Bay amid Donald Trump deportation flights
“Part of my pitch for why I wanted to be the first owner in the league is because I wanted a women’s team,” Ohanian remarked regarding his aspirations within TGL. “I’ve been bugging these guys about the LPGA deal for a minute.
“They have been very interested. It’s just these things take time, and I’m not allowed to make any news.”
Ohanian’s commitment to women’s sports is evident through substantial investments in the NWSL’s Angel City FC, the exclusive women’s track and field event Athlos, and the reality TV show ‘Off Season FC,’ which shadows NWSL athletes. His latest endeavor aims to introduce a women’s contingent to TGL, a move that the league is considering with earnest intent.
Responding to Ohanian’s remarks, McCarley stated: “There’s no secret we’re working on that. Alexis has been a great thought leader for us on that, and I think most of our team owners are right behind them in that area, too.”
TGL’s collaboration with ESPN has been fruitful, and the league is expected to continue growing with each season. Notably, Woods and McIlroy participated in the inaugural season, but their teams were the only ones that didn’t make it to the TGL Playoffs.
Despite this, both golfers were thrilled with the progress made, and Woods expressed: “I’m proud of my teammates, I’m proud of what we’ve built here, the excitement we’ve been able to bring to Jupiter and, more importantly, the game of golf.”
Reflecting on TGL’s first year, McIlroy shared with Golfweek: “I think everyone that played had an amazing time. Even the guys that played one match, whether it be Nick Dunlap or Tony Finau, they all just talked about what an amazing experience it was.
“The players’ enthusiasm is crucial. If they’re excited about it, that energy will translate to the crowd, the media, or whoever the audience is. I think that was amazing – the players really got into it, and we were able to create a product that the players genuinely enjoyed.”
When queried about potential improvements, McIlroy suggested: “I think we could do better job with being a little more imaginative with the golf holes, like design golf holes that you would never be able to play in real life. I think that would be pretty cool, right?”
“I think that something that we could do a better job of. I would say the putting surface needs looked that, like I think it’s much harder to hole putts on that TGL green than it is the hole putts on on a normal green. We could have a look at changing the putting surface maybe, as well.”
“Apart from that, ESPN is happy. Sponsors are happy. The players are really bought into it, so as a first season has went, I think it’s went really, really well.”