There’s no denying that it’s been a busy year for both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. To begin with, Tiger returned to competitive action at the Masters, just 15 months after his serious car crash in February 2021, while McIlroy on the other hand has been competitive in a number of tournaments all around the world.
Now though, it has been announced that the duo, alongside former Golf Channel President, Mike McCarley, have launched a sports media and technology company called TMRW Sports, which plans to use technology as a way to bring golf to younger fans.
Along with TMRW Sports, and according to Golfweek (opens in new tab)the duo have also proposed a number of stadium-based events to combat the LIV threat, with the series featuring a number of one-day events designed to complement the PGA Tour.
Reportedly aimed to start in 2024, details of what the showdowns will entail are sketchy, but it’s thought the events may be held in front of sell-out stadium crowds and would run from January to March, building towards a finale to be held at a later date.
McCarley knows both Major winners well, with the Founder & CEO of TMRW Sports explaining that he and Tiger’s agent Mark Steinberg “have spent hours together over the years talking about how good primetime golf is but how difficult and expensive it is to execute. The proof is in the ratings every few years when a West Coast event can go late into East Coast prime.”
What’s more, McCarley added that he has had similar conversations with McIlroy and his team, with the former Golf Channel President explaining: “It evolved into how we can harness technology to enhance the experience for both participants who play and for fans. We believe there is a difference between following and watching — so shorter-form experiences are going to be more important as we continue to be crunched for time.”
McCarley with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player at the 2015 Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Releasing a message about the launch on Twitter, Tiger wrote: “I’m excited to be a part of this exciting new venture, which will harness technology to bring new approaches to the sport we love”.
In a separate statement, McIlroy said: “For the last few years off the course, I’ve been focused on helping to lead golf into its digital future. Now, by joining forces with Tiger, Mike, and other TMRW Sports partners, we can shape the way that media and technology improve the sports experience.
“In a world where technology provides us with so many choices for using our time, we want to make sports more accessible for as many people as possible.”