Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods get another superstar investor for new golf league

30 August 2023 , 19:02

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Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods get another superstar investor for new golf league

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' innovative golf league 'TGL' has been given yet another boost thanks to the investment of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo has invested in one of the league's teams, Los Angeles Golf Club, joining Seven Seven Six founder Alexis Ohanian and tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams. The Milwaukee Bucks star's brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alex will also be involved. Antetokounmpo confirmed the news on social media on Tuesday, writing: "We want to make golf our own and for everybody [We] are excited to announce our involvement as investors in @WeAreLAGC - the inaugural team of TGL. We couldn’t be more excited to shape the future of this sport."

Founder, and wife of Serena Williams, Ohanian welcomed the investment of the Antetokounmpo brothers in a post of his own. "Few things in life better than getting to work with your friends," he tweeted. "The Antetokounmpo fam is so remarkably aligned with our team's values and their inspiring story speaks to our mission to show that golf is for everyone. Excited to be building @WeAreLAGC with ya @Giannis_An34, @Thanasis_ante43, @Kostas_ante13, @alex_ante29."

LAGC were the first of three TGL teams to be announced earlier this year, with three still to come ahead of the beginning of the league in January 2024. The six teams will consist of three PGA Tour players, 12 of which have already been confirmed. Unsurprisingly, league founders Woods and McIlroy will both feature in the virtual league. They will also be joined by Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler.

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Kicking off at the beginning of next year, the league will consist of a 15-week regular season followed by semi-final and final matches. Woods and McIlroy announced TGL last August, having formed TMRW Sports alongside Mike McCarley.

The formation of the league came amid the PGA Tour's dispute with rivals LIV Golf. Both Woods and McIlroy emerged as two of the Saudi-backed series' biggest critics, with TGL dubbed as one of the circuit's latest attempts to thwart off the threat of the LIV circuit. The two rival tours have since opted to work in unison, after the PGA Tour announced a shock agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) in June.

Joshua Lees