TGL has announced that a new team will be joining the innovative league. The Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy co-founded golf league had its inaugural season in March with six teams. The teams consisted of pros from the PGA Tour, and they competed over the course of two months in three-on-three singles events. TGL revealed on Tuesday that Detroit has been awarded the league’s first-ever expansion team, which will be known as Motor City Golf Club.
Why TGL Chose Detroit for Its First-Ever Expansion Team
Mike McCarley has revealed the strategic reason behind TGL’s decision in its first-ever expansion team. The TGL co-founder attributed the league’s choice of Detroit to the city’s championship legacy and its passionate fans.
“Detroit is a fantastic sports town,” McCarley said. “The city has a championship legacy and Detroit fans are passionate about their teams, and they’ll let you know it. TGL’s inaugural season generated extensive interest in its expansion process, and we’re proud to welcome Motor City Golf Club and its ownership group as we build on the league’s continued momentum in the years to come,” he added.
The new TGL team ownership is led by Middle West Partners and members of the Hamp family, which also co-own the Detroit Lions. Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband Steve are co-owners of the club. Rob Walton, owner of the Denver Broncos, and Jordan Rose, president and founder of Rose Law Group, the largest woman-founded law firm in Arizona history, are also part of the ownership group. Other principals are Michael Hamp, Peter Hamp, and Kevin Kelleher.
TGL has also confirmed that there will be multiple seasons of the league. However, Motor City Golf Club won’t feature in the TGL until 2027. There were no details provided about the team’s roster and no other information was provided about the league’s second season. The league, played at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, will continue with six teams for its second season, which is scheduled to start next January. Its original six franchises are the defending champion Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club.
Proud Moment for Michael Hamp
McCarley revealed in March that the league was looking at the possibility of expansion during the 2025 season. TGL Holdings recently filed trademarks for potential franchises in Chicago and Texas (likely Dallas) for “Chicago Links Golf Club” and “Texas Golf Club.”
“This is a great moment for Detroit sports and a proud moment for me personally,” said Michael Hamp. “My grandfather, William Clay Ford Sr., was an avid golfer, and I believe bringing a new format of the game he loved would make him really proud.”
