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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods will headline the ownership group for the sixth and final team in TGL presented by SoFi, the tech-infused golf league that he helped develop with Rory McIlroy, the league announced Tuesday.
Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer, senior executive at the private equity firm Blackstone and co-managing partner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, will own Jupiter Links Golf Club.
Woods is also the first player added to Jupiter Links Golf Club’s four-man roster. Woods is a longtime resident of Jupiter, Florida.
“Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible,” Woods said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.”
Woods, 47, hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour since he withdrew after two rounds of the Masters in April. On April 19, he underwent surgery to address post-traumatic arthritis in his right ankle that was caused by injuries suffered in a February 2021 car wreck.
Dr. Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York performed the subtalar fusion procedure to address arthritis caused by a previous talus fracture and “determined the surgery to be successful.”
This past weekend, Woods caddied for his son, Charlie, at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf Championship in Louisiana, walking and carrying his bag for 54 holes.
It is unclear when Woods might return to competitive golf. He hosts the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which benefits his foundation, on Nov. 30-Dec. 3. The past three years, he has competed in the PNC Championship with his son in Orlando, Florida. It is scheduled Dec. 14-17.
“Tiger Woods is one of the most influential and iconic athletes in the history of sports, and I’m thrilled to partner with him to form Jupiter Links GC,” Blitzer said. “Golf is a sport that has a proven ability to bring people together from all over the world, and I’m excited by the potential reach and impact we can have as a team and league.”
According to TGL, Blitzer is personally investing in the franchise, and he becomes the first person to hold equity in five North American major sports teams. In addition to the 76ers and Devils, he also owns a stake in the Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders and Joe Gibbs Racing. He also is a partial owner in various soccer teams around the world, including Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League and Crystal Palace of the Premier League.
The league, which begins play in January 2024, will consist of six teams with four-man rosters; matches will feature three golfers playing for each team in a match-play format on a virtual course with a short-game complex. The inaugural season will include 15 regular-season matches, followed by semifinals and finals. The matches will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+.