Golf icons Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have joined forces to launch TMRW Sports, a new venture aimed at tackling the threat of LIV Golf.
Woods organised a crisis meeting earlier this week. He invited the world’s top 20 players, as well as other influential PGA Tour members.
A total of 23 players attended the meeting. However, Cameron Smith, who is expected to join LIV Golf after the conclusion of the Tour Championship on August 28, was not present. Hideki Matsuyama was the other star name not at the meeting.
Woods and McIlroy led the meeting, which took place in Delaware. Their intentions were to discuss how to challenge the threat posed by LIV Golf.
Who has joined LIV Golf so far?
With its ability to offer much higher sums than the PGA Tour, LIV Golf has managed to secure the signatures of several top golfers on big-money deals.
Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau – all PGA Tour major winners in the past three years – have joined up with the Saudi-backed tour.
Other notable former PGA names involved include Abraham Ancer, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Ian Poulter.
Woods and McIlroy, however, have stood firm in their opposition to the newly-formed tour. Woods, in fact, was offered $700-800 million to play LIV Golf, according to reports. He turned the offer down.
Now, both players have launched a new venture aimed at tackling the threat of the tour.
TMRW Sports: What is it?
TMRW Sports is a startup company founded by both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. It is a technology-focused venture which, McIlroy says, will help to “lead golf into its digital future”.
Furthermore, the venture is partnering with the PGA Tour, and it could help host one-day, stadium-based golf events in the future.
This is notable because, during the meeting, it is reported that the players involved drew up a proposal for an ‘elevated series of limited field events’. As per SportsPro, the rumoured format would involve events being held in a ‘stadium setting’ between January and March. Crucially, unlike LIV Golf, it would not compete with other PGA Tour events.
In addition, the TMRW Sports startup has also secured a deal with US-based TV network NBC, which will show the proposed events. It is suggested that the events could begin in 2024.
What have Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy said about TMRW Sports?
In a press release confirming the foundation of TMRW Sports, Tiger Woods stated: “I am excited to work with TMRW Sports in bringing people more access to sports.
“So many athletes, entertainers, and people I meet from all walks of life, share our passion for sports. But they also share our desire to build a better future for the next generation of sports fans. Together, we can harness technology to bring fresh approaches to the sports we love.”
McIlroy said: “For the last few years off the course, I’ve been focused on helping to lead golf into its digital future.
“Now, by joining forces with Tiger, Mike [McCarley, sports industry executive and fellow investor], and other TMRW Sports partners, we can shape the way that media and technology improve the sports experience.
“In a world where technology provides us with so many choices for using our time, we want to make sports more accessible for as many people as possible.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty
