TGL, the team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA Tour, announced Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund and Stephen Curry have acquired the rights to the league’s San Francisco franchise.
Additional investors include NBA stars Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson.
“Avenue is thrilled to be working with Stephen Curry, in partnership with TMRW Sports as a founding TGL team,” Lasry said in a press release announcing the acquision. “As we move towards the launch of TGL’s inaugural season in January 2024, TGL San Francisco will be focused on developing an extraordinary team of talented players, and we are excited to have Andre and Klay as part of our amazing ownership group.”
Financial specifics were not disclosed. Each founding club will hold a 3% stake in the single-entity league and will participate in TGL-wide revenue sharing, according to an investor deck viewed earlier this year by Sportico.
Avenue Capital Group, a global investment firm with $12.5 billion in asset under management, recently launched the Avenue Sports Fund, and the investment in TGL San Francisco is one of the first for the fund.
This is the latest addition to Curry’s growing business portfolio that includes the award-winning production company Unanimous Media; the Underrated golf and basketball brand; and a Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Gentleman’s Cut.
“Northern California is both the hub of tech innovation and home to world-class golf courses, some of the most-famous players in history and incredible golf fans, which makes San Francisco a natural choice for our next TGL team,” said Mike McCarley, CEO, TMRW Sports Group and TGL presented by SoFi. “This TGL team will generate a lot of energy in the Bay Area and around the world.”
Team names, brands, front office staff and assigned players will be unveiled later this year, as will the inaugural schedule and other operational and fan-centric elements of TGL presented by SoFi. Currently five of six team ownership groups have been announced. Along with TGL San Francisco, here are the other four:
- Atlanta Drive GC: led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores)
- TGL Boston: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing)
- Los Angeles Golf Club: led by Alexis Ohanian (Angel City FC), Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, as well as limited partners Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, the Antetokounmpo brothers and Michelle Wie West
- TGL New York: led by Steve Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures