In 2022, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former Golf Channel executive Mike McCarley collaborated to introduce a new concept in golf: an indoor golf league known as the TMRW Golf League (TGL). Backed by a $500 million investment from Dynasty Equity and Connect Ventures, TGL launched its inaugural events early this year at the SoFi Center. Originally created for PGA Tour professionals, McIlroy now views the league as a potential bridge that could bring together LIV Golf players and PGA Tour stars more frequently in the future.

McIlroy recently explained in an interview on How Leadership Lead with David Novak that, although the main golf calendar would remain intact with four major championships and top tournaments, there is room to unify players under a common framework. He stated,

“I’d say the core golf season wouldn’t look much different. So, you’ve got the four major championships and the bigger individual tournaments. Um, but I think there is a way.”

—Rory McIlroy

TGL’s Structure as a Potential Unifier for LIV and PGA Tour Players

While LIV Golf players currently cannot compete on the PGA Tour due to ongoing negotiations involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances LIV, the four men’s majors remain their only direct competitive overlap with PGA Tour players. The TGL may offer a new solution to this division because it shares a similar team format with LIV Golf, featuring six teams playing 15 holes each match.

McIlroy highlighted this format connection as a reason for optimism, suggesting TGL could serve as a platform to integrate LIV athletes, commenting,

“I think if there’s a way to, we have TGL, which is, you know, purely PGA Tour players, but if there’s a way to expand team golf and try to make it like this bigger entity, so that you maybe have, you know, TGL can have some um, some of the LIV guys come over and play with their teams.”

—Rory McIlroy

The league’s second season is scheduled for March 12-16, 2026, and McIlroy proposed that LIV Golf events could shift toward the latter part of the year. This scheduling would allow some crossover participation, building a bridge between the two golf communities. He said,

“Then maybe LIV more on the back end of the year, like post the summer, sort of going into the all, you know, maybe have some of the TGL teams start to play in some of the, you know, LIV type uh tournaments. It’s a bridge.”

—Rory McIlroy

Even Bryson DeChambeau, a LIV Golf player, supports the idea. Speaking at the 2025 International Series event in India, DeChambeau expressed openness to such collaboration:

“I’m all about anything to grow the game, so if it’s helping grow the game, fantastic,”

and also added,

“Would it [playing at TGL] be fun? Yeah, it could be fun. I don’t know if they’d pick me though, I have no idea. I’ve got a [LIV] team over here, the Crushers GC, come on. The Crushers would be a part of that!”

—Bryson DeChambeau

While McIlroy acknowledges he is unsure if this is the permanent resolution for LIV and PGA Tour divisions, he believes that the team aspect holds great importance for LIV players and represents progress:

“if that’s like the, if it’s like that would be the permanent solution, but it at least is something where, because it seems like the team element is something that is very important for the LIV people,”

and

“that’s sort of like a win for them [LIV Golf].”

—Rory McIlroy

Brooks Koepka Observes Similarities Between TGL and LIV Golf

Brooks Koepka, a prominent LIV Golf player, intrigued fans with a surprise visit to the SoFi Center in February to watch the TGL matches. Although not permitted to participate in the PGA Tour-affiliated league, Koepka mingled with PGA Tour players and showed interest in the innovative format. In an interview on The Joe Pomp Show, he remarked:

“Look, it’s just golf at the end of the day and you’ve gotta make it more fun and entertaining and the attention span the younger generation has isn’t as long as everybody sitting on the couch watching golf for 5 or 6 hours. You’ve got to innovate and be creative and that’s what we [LIV Golf] are trying to do, TGL is trying to do the same thing.”

—Brooks Koepka

Koepka’s visit may also reflect his ties as an investor in Locker Room, an athlete investment fund backing TMRW Sports, the company behind TGL. His positive comments underline the evolving nature of golf, as he added,

“It [The TGL] got guys chirping. I mean it’s fun, I want to watch it, it’s evolving, technology is evolving.”

—Brooks Koepka

The Future of Golf Integration Hinges on TGL’s Role

With PGA Tour and LIV Golf remaining separate due to ongoing negotiations with the Saudi Arabia-backed PIF, the TGL offers a unique opportunity to soften divisions within professional golf. Its team-based format, technological innovations, and shared goals of entertaining younger audiences could help unite players across competing leagues.

McIlroy’s thoughtful approach and backing of Woods’s vision show a willingness within top golf figures to experiment with new solutions. If TGL can successfully serve as a bridge for more collaboration or player crossover starting in 2026, it may reshape how the sport evolves amidst competition and commercial challenges.

Ultimately, while uncertainty remains about a full merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, TGL’s development could mark a pivotal step toward broader inclusivity on professional golf’s highest stages, presenting hopeful prospects for fans and players alike.

Our Reader’s Queries

Q. What illness did Tiger Woods have?

A. In April 2023, despite cold and wet weather, Woods qualified for The Masters. However, he left before the last day due to arthritis. Later, he shared online that he had a subtalar fusion surgery to treat arthritis caused by an earlier talus fracture.

Q. What is Tiger Woods surgery?

A. In September, Woods had surgery to relieve pressure on nerves in his lower back. This was thought to be his sixth back surgery in a decade. Woods has previously suffered a serious Achilles injury, too.