New York is about to get a new sports franchise starting in 2025.
New York Golf Club’s four-player roster for the newly formed six-team TGL (an abbreviation for Tomorrow’s Golf League) is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The New York team, owned by Mets owner Steve Cohen and his Cohen Private Ventures, includes Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Westchester native Cameron Young and former U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitts. The Post has learned exclusively that Patrick will be included.
TGL was created by TMRW Sports, a venture founded by sports executives Mike McCarley, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The match will take place inside the state-of-the-art SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The venue will have seating for fans to watch the golf live, and the game will be broadcast in prime time on ESPN using player microphones.
“This is going to be unlike anything people have seen before,” Schauffele told the Post. “The big goal is to make everyone aware of how we operate and grow the audience for golf. It’s very personal and similar to what we do on the golf course. It’s more technical, but similar to the process we try to do in tournaments.”
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It remains to be seen what the product will look like when it launches in January, and whether golf fans will embrace it. However, the exact names of those involved are not clear. This includes not only the team’s owner, who is a household name, but also the team’s players.
Cohen, one of them, is involved in the $3 billion Strategic Sports Group (SSG) investment in the PGA Tour and clearly believes in golf. He also believes in his TGL.
“Golf continues to grow in popularity, and TGL offers an innovative approach to the sport that appeals to both traditional and new golf fans,” Cohen told The Post in an email. told. “TGL’s prime-time format and fast-paced style will allow fans to connect with their favorite golfers like never before, and we look forward to New York Golf Club bringing excitement to the tri-state region.”
Schauffele, a California native and No. 5 in the world, is looking forward to representing New York.
“The way New Yorkers look at sports is that they have as much passion for golf as they do for sports in general,” he says. “New York is crazy. The fans are crazy. I mean, how cool is that to me? I’m from the West Coast, but here in California, there aren’t a lot of New Yorkers running around who share my passion for the sport. They It’s an honor for me to be able to stand in front of him.”
The names associated with the other five teams are among the biggest in the game.
Atlanta Drive GC, owned by Falcons owner Arthur Blank, consists of Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover.
Boston Common GC is owned by Red Sox owner John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group (also an investor in SSG) and consists of McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, and Adam Scott. The fourth member will be announced in the future.
Jupiter Links GC is owned by Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer (owner of the 76ers, Devils, Guardians and Commanders), with Woods and the rest of the roster to be announced.
Los Angeles GC is owned by a group that includes Alexis Ohanian, Serena and Venus Williams, and limited partners the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan and Michelle Wie West, as well as Tommy Fleetwood, Saheeth Segala and Colin Wie West. Consists of Morikawa and Justin Rose.
TGL San Francisco, led by a group that includes Stephen Curry, has not yet announced its members.
Other players who have committed to TGL but have not yet been assigned to a team include Windham Clark, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Minwoo Lee, Shane Lowry and Kevin Kisner.
“There’s no doubt that having this kind of investment from team owners and a variety of successful companies is a great thing for the world of golf,” Schauffele said.
Will it work?
“We don’t really know until we launch the product,” Schauffele said.
It’s an interesting addition to the current ever-changing landscape of golf.
“At the end of the day, we’re just playing golf, hitting white golf balls. That’s what we do for a living,” Schauffele said. “But I think that arena is going to be really great. I think the fan experience is going to be really great.”
