Los Angeles Golf Club marks TGL’s first franchise

LOS ANGELES –The first TGL franchise has a name: Los Angeles Golf Club.

Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) will mark the first of six TGL franchises set to compete in TGL’s inaugural season, it was announced Thursday. The LAGC ownership group will be comprised of Seven Seven Six (776) founder Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

TGL, the new tech-forward, primetime, team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA TOUR, will commence its first season in January 2024.

Ohanian, the creator of Reddit and founder of 776, is the principal owner and founding investor of Los Angeles’ National Women’s Soccer League franchise Angel City FC, which was named Sports Business Journal’s Team of the Year in 2022 and featured in the HBO docuseries “Angel City.”

Los Angeles’ TGL team strives to represent the city’s rich sports culture, thriving technology scene and diverse community, Ohanian and TGL CEO Mike McCarley said in Thursday’s announcement.

“We’re honored to welcome Alexis, Serena, and Venus as one of TGL’s original six team ownership groups,” said McCarley. “Through his ownership of Angel City FC, Alexis has established himself as a trailblazer in the Southern California professional sports scene. In a very short period of time, Angel City has both planted strong roots in the community and built tremendous value … Alexis and Serena have been a part of the TMRW Sports family as investors and their enthusiasm, along with Venus, for what we’re building with TGL has been infectious.”

“Los Angeles is the perfect home for our TGL team. This city embodies the intersection of sports, technology, and entertainment, making it an ideal backdrop for the innovation and excitement we aim to bring to the world of golf and its fans,” said Ohanian. “We see tremendous opportunities to leverage technology to bring golf closer to its fans and to provide an immersive and interactive experience that will captivate both seasoned golf enthusiasts and new fans.”

TGL is an innovative primetime golf league that fuses technology and live action with teams of PGA TOUR stars competing in a purpose-built arena in Palm Beach, Florida, across a season of matches starting in January 2024. Technology is a foundational element of TGL, offering fans a cutting-edge, shorter format presentation of team golf, featuring some of the PGA TOUR’s biggest stars. Currently, 12 players committed to playing in TGL have been announced: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler.

How it works: TGL

• Teams: Six teams of three PGA TOUR players in head-to-head, match play.

• Tech-forward venue: A first-of-its-kind experience for golf enabled by a data-rich, virtual course paired with a tech-infused, short-game complex.

• Tech-enabled fan experience: High-energy, greenside fan experience with every shot live within a two-hour, primetime televised match.

• Season: 15 regular season matches followed by semifinals and finals matches.