Tiger Woods makes TGL debut, hits first tee shot with Jupiter Links GC
Golf legend Tiger Woods and his team Jupiter Links GC competed in their debut match at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
- The Detroit franchise ownership group includes members of the Hamp family (Detroit Lions owners) and Rob Walton (Denver Broncos owner).
TGL is expanding, but not until 2027.
The indoor, high-tech golf league that completed its first season in March, will add a seventh franchise, Detroit’s Motor City Golf Club, starting in 2027. The league, played at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, will continue with six teams for its second season, which starts in January.
Motor City Golf Club’s ownership group is led by Middle West Partners, which includes the Hamp family. Sheila Hamp, principal owner of the Detroit Lions, and her husband, Steve, are co-owners of Motor City Golf Club; along with Rob Walton, owner of the Denver Broncos; and Jordan Rose, president and founder of Rose Law Group, the largest woman-founded law firm in Arizona history.
“Detroit is a fantastic sports town,” said Mike McCarley, who founded TGL along with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. “The city has a championship legacy and Detroit fans are passionate about their teams and they’ll let you know it.
“TGL’s inaugural season generated extensive interest in its expansion process and we’re proud to welcome Motor City Golf Club and its ownership group as we build on the league’s continued momentum in the years to come.”
The league will enter its second season with its original six franchises; defending champion Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club.
“This is a great moment for Detroit sports and a proud moment for me personally,” Michael Hamp said. “My grandfather, William Clay Ford Sr., was an avid golfer, and I believe bringing a new format of the game he loved would make him really proud.
“Detroit’s fans are the most loyal in sports, and we’re excited to represent our city in TGL and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud to support.”
McCarley told The Palm Beach Post in March the league was exploring expansion during the 2025 season. Among the VIP guests at every match were potential owners, checking out the innovative golf concept nationally televised by ESPN.
Additionally, there recently has been trademark filings from TGL Holdings for potential franchises in Chicago and Texas (likely Dallas) for “Chicago Links Golf Club” and “Texas Golf Club.”
Those two franchises could join the league in 2027 or beyond.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
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