Tiger Woods will serve as owner of Jupiter Links Golf Club in TGL and also play for the organization in the inaugural season of the innovative league he founded with longtime friend and fellow PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy, it was announced on Tuesday. Woods has equity in the team along with investor David Blitzer, a senior executive at Blackstone who owns several professional sports teams.
This news comes on the heels of a Monday press conference introducing the Boston Common team consisting of Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Tyrrell Hatton and Keegan Bradley. Jupiter is the sixth and final team in the TGL for its first season, joining Boston, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Los Angeles. So far, the only other player-team relationships that we know of are Justin Thomas on the Atlanta Drive and Collin Morikawa on the L.A. team.
The tech-infused indoor golf league that McIlroy compared to an NBA courtside experience is scheduled to begin in January and will be televised on ESPN. Depending on whether Woods plays the Hero World Challenge or the PNC Championship over the next few months, January might also be the first time we see Tiger swinging a golf club since he withdrew from the Masters and underwent another foot surgery back in April of this year.
Regardless, Woods, who helped found the league with McIlroy, seems excited about his debut for the Jupiter squad.
“Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible,” Woods said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to not only compete but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.”
Woods’ partner, Blitzer, has ownership stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders among a variety of other teams and organizations. He is the first person to hold equity in five North American major sports teams.
No other players were announced for the Jupiter Links GC roster, which means that 16 players have yet to sign with a team and one will still be added to the league following Jon Rahm’s departure from TGL late last week.