The ownership group of TGL’s Motor City Golf Club is getting involved in the women’s golf game, too.
WTGL, which is set to launch this fall, announced Wednesday morning that the made-for-TV golf league will include a Detroit franchise. The franchise will be owned by the same investors in the TGL Detroit franchise.
The Detroit WTGL franchise actually will debut before the TGL (men’s) team. The TGL team will begin play in 2027. Detroit is the fourth announced franchise for WTGL, which is partnered with the LPGA.
“Detroit is one of America’s greatest sports cities, and our fans have welcomed and shown early excitement for Motor City Golf Club as we build toward our TGL debut,” said Michael Hamp, one of the principal owners of the two franchises, and son of Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp. “Our goal with Motor City Golf Club from the start was to be a club and team for everyone who loves our city and loves golf. Joining WTGL to help create a world-class platform for women’s team golf is an exciting and obvious next chapter for our ownership group.”
Other principal owners include Hamp’s brother, Peter Hamp, and Kevin Kelleher, of Middle West Partners. Other members of the vast ownership group include Rob Walton, owner of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, and Jay Farner, former CEO of Rocket Companies, among several others.
WTGL will compete at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It’s the same facility used by TGL, which is part of TMRW Sports, and founded by golf legends and TGL competitors Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Motor City Golf Club joins Atlanta Drive Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club and New York Golf Club as the first four teams announced to be a part of WTGL. Fourteen players have committed to participating, including Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson and Michelle Wie West, with other players to be announced.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda hasn’t yet committed to WTGL. The No. 1 men’s player, Scottie Scheffler, isn’t a participant in TGL.
Rosters for the men’s and women’s Motor City Golf Club teams have not yet been determined.
“The addition of Motor City Golf Club reflects the strength of WTGL’s ownership model and the growing interest around women’s team golf,” Mike McCarley, founder and CEO of TMRW Sports, said in a statement Wednesday. “This group brings strong market ties, deep experience investing in and growing professional sports franchises, and a shared belief in the opportunity ahead for women’s golf.”
Added Lin Wang of RHC Group, another member of the Motor City Golf Club ownership group, in a statement: “Women’s golf is growing rapidly, the talent on the LPGA Tour is exceptional, and WTGL will create a powerful new stage for the game’s best players. We believe WTGL presents a tremendous opportunity in the U.S., Asia and Europe, and Motor City Golf Club wanted to be part of it from the very beginning.”
TGL features players hitting full shots into a large simulator screen, and then chipping and putting on a custom-built and rotatable and rotating green. TGL just completed its second season, with matches on ESPN platforms and drawing modest TV ratings that spiked when Woods competed. Collin Morikawa’s Los Angeles Golf Club claimed the championship this year. Justin Thomas’ Atlanta Drive GC won the inaugural title in 2025.
Motor City Golf Club will be the seventh franchise in TGL, starting play next year. Motor City Golf Club unveiled its logo, blue and white with a checkered race-car theme, earlier this spring. It has begun selling merchandise, and has office space in downtown Detroit.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Motor City Golf Club will be part of inaugural WTGL season this fall
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
