PGA Tour commissioner says players' buying in, innovation will lead to 'more TGL' in the future
Tom D'Angelo- PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan expressed optimism about the future of TGL, a golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
ORLANDO — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sees a bright future for TGL, one that includes expansion through additional franchises and with the LPGA.
Monahan, who spoke Tuesday during an informal meeting with selected media before the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, pointed out how much PGA Tour players are enjoying the indoor league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and played at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens.
"If there were any questions about the way players were going to respond and how sustainable it is, you got to be around the locker room at the end of play on both sides, on the winning or defeated side, to see how much this really does mean to them," Monahan said.
"That's what fans respond to, and they are responding to it."
Monahan cited Tony Finau and Nick Dunlap signing single-game contracts to play for the Los Angeles Golf Club and Atlanta Drive, respectively, the past two weeks.
TGL concludes its regular season this week. The playoffs start in two weeks and will include Los Angeles, the Bay Golf Club, Atlanta and New York Golf Club. Woods' Jupiter Links and McIlroy's Boston Common are the two teams not in the postseason.
Expansion has been a topic throughout the inaugural season as has the LPGA getting involved. Monahan even raised the possibility of another venue being built and TGL going international.
"There's a lot of commercial interests," Monahan said. "We've got six incredible ownership groups. There's a lot of people that would like to be the seventh or eighth team that kind of fit that same extraordinary profile.
Jay Monahan points to talks about LPGA, women's golf joining TGL
"There's been a lot of conversations about the LPGA and women's golf. I know (TGL's) pursuing that. I see that in the future. I think that there's always the prospect of another venue, which creates the ability for more competitions. I also think there's international opportunities."
With the first season winding down – playoffs start March 17-18 with semifinal matches and then a best-of-three final the following week – Monahan believes the league is very well positioned.
"This has been the great test," Monahan said. "And I think what people should take away from it is there is the constant adjustments that are being made and the constant thinking about innovation from the league level and at the ownership group, that I think is going to lead to a lot more of TGL in the future."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].