Golf has consistently faced challenges in attracting younger viewers. TGL, the tech-infused league built by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, however, quickly reversed the game. Reportedly, 41% of viewers belong to the 18-49 age group. So when Women’s TGL was launched, it was touted to offer the LPGA pros bigger exposure. Tennis World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and US soccer legend Alex Morgan certainly believe in that vision.

An official press release from WTGL dated June 2 reveals that Trybe Ventures, the investment group co-founded by Alex Morgan, announced new members of the WTGL investor group. Aryna Sabalenka, who is currently ranked World No. 1 in tennis, Hilary Knight, a two-time Olympic hockey gold medalist, and five WNBA players, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Nneka Ogwumike, and Gabriela Jaquez, have joined as investors. Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach had already committed to investing.

“We continue to see incredible enthusiasm around WTGL and a growing belief in the opportunity to build something truly impactful around women’s golf,” Morgan was quoted in the official statement. The innovative virtual golf league attracting leading female investors across multiple sports isn’t something new, however.

Haley Rosen, founder and CEO of Just Women’s Sports, a media platform championing women’s sports, has also joined as an investor through Trybe Ventures. On the other hand, noted sports investors like Linnea Roberts and Susan Lyne are also investors in WTGL. Notably, Michelle Wie West, who is set to compete in WTGL, is a co-owner of TGL’s LAGC. The initial roster of players is also impressive.

Fourteen leading LPGA pros have signed on for the first season in winter 2026-27. The list includes world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang, Lottie Woad, and Michelle Wie West, who returns from retirement.

The address remains unchanged, as well as the format that was built by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. WTGL now takes over the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. Team match-play, simulator golf, mic’d-up players, and real-time analytics are all part of the setup. It has helped the league draw a young audience.

Noted sports business analyst Joe Pompliano shared that the average median age of the audience is 51. Moreover, reportedly 41% of the audience is 18-41 years of age. It is expected that WTGL will draw a similar demographic. However, one big name’s noticeable absence highlights one problem with the vision.

Nelly Korda has not signed on for the 2026-27 WTGL season. Korda has criticized TGL’s decision to create a separate women’s league instead of integrating women into the existing men’s competition. She told Golfweek:

“I think it’s a huge and unbelievable miss that we’re not playing alongside the men. There’s no greater way to grow the game, and it would have been revolutionary. It would have been the first time, I think, that men and women are on the same playing field, playing for the same exact amount of money.”

Korda’s absence has a parallel in the TGL as well. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler never showed any interest in joining the simulator golf league. While no other LPGA pro has spoken about this or agreed with Korda, Alexis Ohanian, co-owner of TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Club, backed Korda’s view directly. He told Front Office Sports:

“I think Nelly’s got a great point here. Golf is one of the few sports where you could genuinely have men and women playing together in a really compelling way.”

Mike McCarley, co-founder of TMRW Sports, for his part, has not closed the door; he has acknowledged that a mixed-gender TGL format could happen in the near future. On the business side, ESPN is currently the frontrunner to secure WTGL’s media rights, though nothing is official yet. With a big media house backing, WTGL is on solid ground to replicate the success of TGL.

TGL and WTGL: How Tiger Woods built the blueprint at the SoFi Center

Three years ago, the SoFi Center was not there. On February 20, 2023, Woods and McIlroy had the ceremonial groundbreaking of the $50 million steel facility at Palm Beach State College. The venue was built specifically for simulator golf, rotating greens, and to seat 1,500 fans for primetime television. TGL opened there on January 7, 2025. The first event drew 919,000 viewers, according to a report from Front Office Sports.

Woods did not play in the opener. His first appearance the next week drew over a million viewers. According to Sports Business Journal, over 15 regular-season matches, the league averaged 513,000 viewers and reached a total of 19.3 million, 21% higher than ESPN’s numbers in the same time slots the previous year. Atlanta Drive GC won the SoFi Cup with a 4-3 comeback against New York Golf Club, sealed by Horschel’s 18-foot birdie putt. The team received a $9 million payout. Season 2 picked up where Season 1 had left off. 646,000 viewers watched the December 28 opener, 30% above the season 1 match average, per Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal.

Meanwhile, WTGL continues to build its roster. The league has the resources, the venue, the format, and 14 committed players. But it still lacks the top women’s golfer in the world. That remains one important issue to address.