Fenway Sports Group are expanding their sports portfolio after acquiring a team set to participate in a new golf league.
Liverpool's owners, FSG, already have control of baseball giants Boston Red Sox and ice hockey side Pittsburgh Penguins and will soon represent of one of six founding teams in a technology-driven golf league that is due to launch next year. Controlled by TMRW Sports, the TGL league has been co-founded by two household names in the game of golf: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Due to begin in January 2024, the concept consists of six teams of three PGA Tour players competing on a simulator inside an arena. Games will take place on Monday evenings, last for two hours and will be factored in to the schedule of the PGA Tour. World No.1 Jon Rahm is among those to have already signed up to this venture, with the English duo of Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick also in line to feature. 12 of the 18 available places have already been filled.
The premise of TGL is to attract a younger audience of watchers, with shorter match times planned in comparison to ordinary rounds of golf to retain the attention of viewers. Los Angeles Golf Club was the first team announced to be involved in TGL, which has since been purchased by tennis icon Serena Williams and her husband, and FSG have become the second ownership group after securing the rights for a team representing the Boston and New England region.
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The Financial Times state this deal will see FSG earn a three per cent stake in TGL, but add Liverpool chairman Tom Werner and John Henry were already investors in TMRW Sports - the company that has created TGL. Explaining why FSG have chosen to get involved, Werner said: “We consider this to be something that we can help grow and participate in what I think is an innovative idea.
“Not just the trajectory of golf as we would call it traditionally with green grass, but golf as it relates to people who play it off-course, either with simulators or the experience of Topgolf. The participation in that actually exceeded traditional green grass golf last year, and not only that, but there’s been a huge increase in young golfers between the ages of 18 to 34 participating, and this is a perfect format for younger viewers.”
A separate, joint statement from Henry and Werner said: "We are excited for this new journey. Through this new, tech-focused version of the game, New England sports fans will soon have a team of world-class PGA Tour players to cheer for and redefine for this community what it means to play the game in the modern era.”
