Rory McIlroy is defending the decision to launch a separate women’s division of TGL rather than have male and female golfers compete together. The five-time major champion addressed the issue after Nelly Korda publicly criticized the new WTGL league’s format.
Korda, a four-time major champion, described the decision not to feature mixed teams as a “huge and unbelievable miss.”
However, McIlroy believes a dedicated competition will give female golfers an opportunity to expand their audience and showcase their personalities.
The new women’s league is scheduled to launch in late 2026, following the success of the men’s TGL competition, which McIlroy founded alongside Tiger Woods and Mike McCarley.
Rory McIlroy Explains Why He Supports a Separate Women’s TGL Competition
McIlroy addressed the criticism while discussing the upcoming WTGL launch, according to talkSPORT.
“In my opinion, I think it’s amazing to give the women their own platform,” McIlroy said.
The Northern Irish golfer acknowledged that organizers initially considered having men and women compete on the same teams.
“When we talked about WTGL, obviously there was talk of a mixed team,” he explained.
Rather than combine the two competitions, McIlroy believes the men’s league can help promote the women’s division while allowing its players to establish their own identity.
“I mean, I think the guys are going to go and support the women, and we’ll be there; we’ll be at games, and we’ll help to raise the profile of the overall platform,” he said.
“But I do think that it is important to give the women their own platform and encourage them to grow that themselves.”
McIlroy also pointed to the opportunities the men’s competition has provided players beyond traditional PGA Tour events.
“I think from a TGL perspective and the men’s, I think it’s been really beneficial for guys to show a bit of their personalities and to show a different side of themselves,” he said.
“You know, hopefully that’ll be the same for the women coming up here in a few weeks.”
Nelly Korda Will Miss WTGL’s Inaugural Season as Major Champions Join
Despite being one of women’s golf’s most recognizable players, Korda will not participate in WTGL’s inaugural season.
The league has assembled 25 players, including major champions, former world No. 1 golfers, Olympic competitors, and Solheim Cup winners.
LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko headlines the field alongside Brooke Henderson, Céline Boutier, Ruoning Yin and Yuka Saso.
Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang and former world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul have also committed to the competition.
WTGL will feature five teams competing at the SoFi Center in Florida, using the same technology-driven format that helped establish the men’s league.
Each team will feature three players competing across 15 holes, with triples and singles formats determining the results.
Players will hit shots at a five-story simulator screen, then move to a rotating green that can turn 360 degrees to create different putting conditions.
Rory McIlroy Stands by Controversial TGL Decision After Nelly Korda’s Public Criticism