For nearly a century, golfers and followers related crew play with worldwide competitions, such because the Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup.
LIV Golf has since modified that. When it launched in 2022, the Saudi-backed circuit integrated a crew component. 13 squads now exist, every with its personal distinct model and emblem. A few of them have even scored sponsorship offers.
Golf’s newest enterprise, TGL, has additionally embraced crew play. The indoor golf league options six groups, every with 4 PGA Tour professionals. In contrast to LIV, TGL focuses on geography, with groups from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, New York, Atlanta, and Jupiter, Florida, all part of the league. Granted, these groups don’t function out of these locales, as all of them compete on the SoFi Heart in South Florida. However TGL needed to lean into these markets to garner consideration and spur rivalries between cities like New York and Boston.
Think about if LIV Golf had its personal TGL crew.
In any case, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton dedicated to becoming a member of TGL earlier than bolting to LIV a 12 months in the past. However Rahm and Hatton can’t play TGL matches since they jumped to LIV. Solely PGA Tour members can.
Regardless of that, Mike McCarley, a TGL founder alongside Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, advised Josh Carpenter of Sports activities Enterprise Journal that, “Sure, completely,” he had a listing of potential LIV gamers on his thoughts.
So who may that be?
Rahm and Hatton are possible on that listing.
Rahm, now a two-time main winner, is likely one of the hottest gamers on the earth. He may also be remembered as the most effective gamers of his technology, whether or not he wins one other main or not. Hatton is a top-20 participant, however the unfiltered Englishman additionally waxes poetic together with his phrases on the course all too typically — not in an acceptable method both. That makes him extremely entertaining as a result of no one is aware of what is going to come from Hatton’s mouth. That, coupled together with his capability to contend at majors routinely, makes his play appointment viewing. Rahm has had his truthful encounters with a scorching mic, too, which might make each of those gamers notable additions to TGL. It’s an leisure product, at the beginning, and what higher strategy to entertain than to have these two fiery and aggressive personalities?
Add Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, and you should have a LIV Golf crew of DeChambeau, Koepka, Rahm, and Hatton.
Speak about fireworks.
DeChambeau is at present the most well-liked participant on the planet, not named Tiger Woods, because of his exponential rise in YouTube subscribers and social media followers. He has turn into a cultural icon, capturing movies with the President of america and trying hole-in-one tries over his home. His presence in a TGL match would solely improve rankings and assist it in the long term.
Koepka, in the meantime, is a five-time main champion and nonetheless one of the vital formidable gamers on the earth. He has a direct, considerably abrasive persona and infrequently tells you precisely how he feels. His nonchalant nature would make it pleasing for followers to listen to a TGL match.
In fact, contemplating the divisive nature of professional golf, a LIV Golf crew getting into the TGL sphere would ship shockwaves throughout the game. A rivalry would shortly come up, and the LIV crew would undertake an “us-against-the-world” mentality. That will entertain golf followers all over the place, as Rahm, Hatton, DeChambeau, and Koepka could be the brand new youngsters on the block that no one would need to mess with.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
