Two-time major championship winner Justin Thomas signed on to the TGL, the simulator league formed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and will play for the Atlanta Drive GC.
He becomes the first player to be assigned to one of the six teams in the league. Three players will be added later, the team said in a Tuesday news release.
“Atlanta and the state of Georgia have been the home to some of the biggest sporting events in the country, and I’m excited to represent fans there as part of TGL and Atlanta Drive GC,” Thomas, 30, said in a statement. “To be aligned with an owner like Arthur Blank and his incredible variety of businesses as they expand their golf portfolio feels like a great fit for me.
“I promise our team will compete hard to win championships and have a lot of fun along the way. We will represent Atlanta in the best way possible while helping grow the game everywhere through this unique TGL format.”
Blank, who owns the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer, purchased the TGL franchise this summer.
The team actually won’t play in Atlanta, but rather at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., which was built for this purpose. Play is set to start on Jan. 9, with the ESPN networks showing the action over 15 regular-season matches, plus the semifinals and finals.
Fellow majors winners Woods, McIlroy, Adam Scott, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley and Shane Lowry also are among the 24 players who will compete in the league.
The rosters for the franchises representing Boston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco have yet to be announced, and neither has the ownership group for the sixth TGL franchise.
–Field Level Media