Ho, ho, ho.
The holiday season is over but TMRW Sports, the tech-focused golf league headed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, keeps sprinkling announcements of its signed players as if it’s still the 12 days of Christmas.
The latest to join the fray: Max Homa and Billy Horschel. This marks nine players committed to TGL, a new primetime golf league in partnership with the PGA Tour that will begin play in 2024. Half of the 18 players who will make up the six teams of three next year have been officially announced with Woods, McIlroy , Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick rounding out the previous commitments and giving the startup seven of the current top 20 players in the world and 162 PGA Tour wins amongst them.
Homa, 32, rose to a career-best of 13th in the world after winning the Farmers Insurance Open, his second Tour title of the season and sixth career Tour title. He represented the US at the Presidents Cup last year and has emerged as one of the game’s most popular players.
“I believe there is an opportunity to push the envelope for golf fans’ viewing experience. TGL is another example of how we can appeal to younger sports fans and TGL’s progressive approach with its use of technology will further elevate how sports fans engage with golf,” Homa said in a press release. “I love the concept of TGL helping to broaden the appeal of the game we love to a wider spectrum of sports fans. From the first time I heard about it, I knew it was for me.”
Team USA golfer Max Homa (left) and golfer Billy Horschel (right) celebrate on the 18th green during the four-ball match play of the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Horschel, 36, is coming off a year in which he won the Memorial and rose to No. 19 in the world. The former four-time All-American at the University of Florida made his first appearance on the US Presidents Cup team, where he partnered in a match with Homa.
“I have always enjoyed team and match-play formats, dating back to my days playing for the Gators. Being a part of a TGL team and competing in this format on a regular basis next year will hopefully play to my strengths,” he said. “Competing in primetime in front of an audience will be a perfect environment for me as a passionate player who loves to feed off energy from the fans.”
In August, following nearly two years of development, Woods, McIlroy, and former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley announced the formation of TMRW Sports and TGL. TGL will showcase team competitions from a purpose-built Palm Beach, Florida venue. Here’s a short primer on how the league, which is expected to broadcast in primetime on Monday nights:
-
Teams: Six teams of three PGA Tour players in head-to-head, match play
-
Tech-Infused Venue: A first-of-its-kind venue for golf enabled by a data-rich, virtual course combined with a tech-infused, short-game complex
-
Tech-Enabled Fan Experience: High-energy, greenside fan experience with every shot live within a 2-hour, primetime televised match
-
Season: Primetime play for 15 regular season Monday night matches followed by semifinals and finals.
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek