FILE PHOTO: Jul 28, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Official LPGA sign seen during the final round of the CPKC Women's Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
Jan 6 (Reuters) - The LPGA and TMRW Sports announced on Tuesday a women's version of the tech-infused indoor golf league that was created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Preparing for a launch in winter 2026-27 after the upcoming LPGA season, the WTGL will feature the world's best women golfers competing across a season of fast-paced, team match play in the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
WTGL will be a hybrid of virtual and real-life play featuring teams of players hitting shots at a five-storey-high simulator screen before moving to a green that can rotate 360 degrees, creating hole-to-hole variations.
"Partnering with TMRW Sports on WTGL reflects our belief that innovation can help the game reach new fans and create greater visibility for LPGA athletes," LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said in a joint press release.
“I’ve seen how new formats can engage audiences while showcasing both athlete personality and performance, and WTGL brings that spirit of innovation to the women’s game. It creates another global stage for our athletes - one that helps fans connect more deeply with them and continues to elevate the visibility and growth of women’s golf."
TGL, a primetime golf league featuring six squads of four players competing in a fast-paced form of team golf, was founded in 2022 by Woods and McIlroy's TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA Tour.
The league, which also plays in the SoFi Center, launched last year and a seventh team is joining in 2027.
"Since the launch of TGL a year ago, TMRW Sports has been putting the pieces in place to create a women’s league featuring the best players in the world," said Mike McCarley, founder and CEO, TMRW Sports. "Now, along with the LPGA and its athletes, we look forward to creating a stage to help showcase the stars of the LPGA."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)
