Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL venture is gathering pace after two more star names were confirmed.
In what proved an unlikely development last year, the two icons joined forces to create a new company in TMRW Sports, which will run the part-virtual golf league in conjunction with the PGA Tour. The pair confirmed the project for 2024 after Woods himself had led crisis talks with players over the threat posed by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
The rebel tour has already secured some high-profile signings, with the 2023 Ryder Cup currently in jeopardy after European captain Henrik Stenson, now stripped of the honour, joined a host of other former players in defecting. Undoubtedly the most striking blow came when Cam Smith joined the rebel tour just weeks after becoming Open champion.
But two more of their big targets, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, have thus far resisted and already pledged their commitment to participating in the TGL. And now 15-time major champion Woods has confirmed two more star names, 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott and 2021 Open champion Collin Morikawa.
"Thrilled to welcome @collin_morikawa and Adam Scott to @TGL," tweeted the icon. "Our roster of players keeps getting better and better, and I can't wait to square off against these two when the league debuts next year."
Scott, 42, has also openly been targeted by LIV CEO Greg Norman, who hoped the capture of Smith would persuade his compatriot to join him 54-hole events. But on the contrary, the former world No 1 has cited the influence of Woods, who remarkably returned to the US Masters last year after over a year out with injury, in his decision.
“We never saw much ‘side-taking’ from Tiger during his career," he told Sports Illustrated . "That’s fair enough, he was a competitor and he was interested in what he was doing. Now, he’s showing his feelings on things. Creating something like TGL with Rory is just another example of how he is having an impact on the game. Certainly when Tiger goes in on something, it’s going to have an impact no matter what.”
Woods himself, 47, turned down an astonishing offer in the region of £600 million to join LIV Golf. He and McIlroy have since called for Norman to step aside, arguing his presence was hindering any potential compromise between the warring organisations.
The 67-year-old has thrown no shortage of fire in the other direction though. In the same week that he lauded the new LIV GolF television deal as "momentous," he labelled Woods a "mouthpiece' for the PGA Tour, accusing him of deliberately trying to unsettle his players.
