03 November 2023 , 14:23
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Jon Rahm has given fellow PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy a huge headache after the Masters champion announced he had quit their innovative golf league, TGL on Thursday.
Woods and McIlroy founded the league last summer, and since then have announced a whole host players who are set to compete. With the two founders also involved, TGL's playing roster was completed in October, with 24 players committed ahead of the official launch in January.
With just two months to go, Woods and McIlroy are now scratching round for a late replacement following Rahm's decision to walk away from the simulator golf setup. From the world No. 1 to one of the sport's hottest, rising talents, here is a look at five names who could replace the Spaniard.
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Scottie Scheffler
Arguably the biggest name not involved with the TGL setup is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Prior to Rahm's departure, Scheffler was one of only three players from the world's top 10 to not be involved with the start-up league following the confirmation of the 24-man roster.
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Logistically, Scheffler's omission was not a surprise to many due to TGL being based in Palm Beach, a long way from his Texas home, which would make commuting back-and-forth for each week almost impossible. With one space now available though, it would be no surprise to see Woods and McIlroy make a last-ditch attempt to bring in the world's best golfer.
Ludvig Aberg
Second on the list is golf's hottest prospect, Ludvig Aberg. Since turning professional in June Aberg has taken the sport by storm, breaking onto the scene across both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. This resulted in the Swede earning a call-up to the European Ryder Cup team, just three months after making the decision to turn pro.
And he once again proved his worth, helping the Europeans to a 16.5-11.5 victory over their American rivals at Marco Simone last month. Unsurprisingly Aberg has been tipped to have a big future, and would therefore prove a savvy addition to Woods and McIlroy's roster.
Ludvig Aberg could prove to be the perfect replacement (Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)Viktor Hovland
Aberg is not the first Scandinavian to take the world of golf by storm in recent years, having followed in the footsteps of Viktor Hovland. There are not many better players on the planet than Hovland right now, who continues to go from strength-to-strength, winning the season-long race for the FedEx Cup earlier this year.
The Norwegian is undoubtedly a name the TGL chiefs would love to add to their roster, but like Scheffler there is one logistical nightmare. Hovland currently resides in Oklahoma, and this is most likely the key reason the European star opted not to sign for the stadium-based league in the first place.
Brian Harman
The TGL roster is littered with major champions, and they could well add the latest in Brian Harman. The American star has been a PGA Tour mainstay for some time, and his consistency was finally rewarded earlier this summer when he won the Open Championship i n tough conditions at Royal Liverpool.
Brian Harman won the Open earlier this summer (PA)Unsurprisingly the Open champion's profile has sky-rocketed since his impressive performance on the North West links, and proved enough to earn him a Ryder Cup debut in Rome. Having the Champion Golfer of The Year in your ranks would prove a shrewd move by two fellow Open winners in Woods and McIlroy.
Jordan Spieth
With the TGL ranks made up of the PGA Tour's core stars it was a big surprise to not see one of the circuit's most popular players in Jordan Spieth not sign up. The American has been one of golf's biggest names for some time, and would no doubt have been one of the names at the top of Woods and McIlroy's recruitment list.
Once again though the issue of travelling week-in-week-out for almost four months straight would have played a key factor in Spieth not signing on the dotted line. Like Ryder Cup rival Hovland, he too resides in Oklahoma, a lengthy trip away from TGL's Florida base.