Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, and Jimmy Fallon Join TGL New York Golf Club Investors

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new high-tech golf league, TGL, is gaining star-studded backing from New York icons.

Cohen Private Ventures, the family office of New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, announced Thursday that Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Michael Strahan, John McEnroe, and Jimmy Fallon have joined the New York Golf Club’s investor group as limited partners. The announcement marks the latest wave of celebrity investors in the league, which debuts on January 7, aligning with the start of the 2025 FedEx Cup season.

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Cohen, who acquired rights to the New York Golf team last September, emphasized his enthusiasm for building a team that represents New York’s sports passion. “New York has the greatest fans in the world, and we have built a team that will make New Yorkers proud. This fresh, innovative take on the sport will appeal to both traditional and new golf fans,” Cohen said in a statement to CNBC.

The New York Golf Club team will feature Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Young in its inaugural season.

Eli Manning, the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New York Giants, expressed excitement about the project, citing golf’s growing appeal. “There [have] been a lot of exciting trends in golf with participation growing on and off the course,” Manning said.

TGL, founded by Woods, McIlroy, and former Golf Channel executive Mike McCarley, is a primetime golf league that blends cutting-edge technology with team competition. Partnered with the PGA Tour, the league will complement the Tour schedule and air on ESPN, which secured broadcast rights in October 2023.

The league will feature six teams of PGA Tour players competing in two-hour, head-to-head matches at a custom-built venue in Palm Beach, Florida. Although initially set to launch in 2024, the start was delayed after a structural collapse at the competition dome caused by a power outage.

TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, boasts a roster of high-profile investors, including Stephen Curry, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Durant, Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Serena Williams, Josh Allen, and Lewis Hamilton.

Derek Jeter, a former New York Yankees star, said he was drawn to the project because of his love for golf and his connection to New York. “I’m looking forward to seeing NYGC added to New York’s sports legacy,” Jeter told CNBC.