The 2026 LPGA season begins this week with the Tournament of Champions, and Nelly Korda is prepping for another run at the No. 1 ranking this year. But it’s Korda’s thoughts about another women’s golf league, the WTGL, that are causing a stir this week.
In comments to Beth Ann Nichols of Golfweek, Korda expressed her “mixed feelings” about the new women’s version of TGL and strongly criticized TGL’s decision to sequester women into a separate league.
Korda hits TGL for keeping leaving LPGA golfers out
In early January, TMRW Sports, the company founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that operates TGL, announced the creation of a new women’s-only TGL league, the WTGL.
The WTGL will feature stars of the LPGA Tour playing the same tech-infused simulator golf that TGL debuted last year at the SoFi Center in Florida. TMRW Sports, LPGA and many others heralded the inclusion of women golfers.
But Korda provided a contrary perspective this week. The former World No. 1’s primary issue with the WTGL news involves the exclusion of women.
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In an interview with Nichols conducted as she prepped for the LPGA season, Korda characterized the decision to create the WTGL, rather than add LPGA pros to the existing TGL, as a “huge and unbelievable miss.”
“I have mixed feelings on it if I’m being very honest, and I’m surprised no other girls have, or no one’s really spoken out about it,” Korda told Nichols this week. “I think it’s a huge and unbelievable miss that we’re not playing alongside the men.”
She continued by arguing that having men and women competing together would have been “revolutionary” in terms of the growth of golf.
“There’s no greater way to grow the game, and it would have been revolutionary. It would have been the first time, I think, that men and women are on the same playing field, playing for the same exact amount of money,” Korda said.
But Korda was quick to explain that while she wishes women were included in TGL, the creation of the WTGL is still a positive development for women’s golf.
“I also think it’s great that we are getting this opportunity, so that’s my mixed feelings,” Korda said. “Like, I don’t think that there’s a downside. I just think that it would have been even greater to have both of them together.”
First WTGL players announced, Nelly Korda missing
On January 19th, TMRW Sports announced the first wave of LPGA stars who have committed to the inaugural WTGL season, which is tentatively planned for winter 2026-27.
The first announcement featured six players including World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who took over Korda’s top spot in the world rankings in 2025. LPGA veteran and semi-retired pro Lexi Thompson was also revealed as a WTGL competitor, as were Lydia Ko, Charley Hull and Brooke Henderson. But Korda, the most famous women’s golfer in the world, wasn’t among them.
This week, young LPGA stars Rose Zhang and Lottie Woad, both former winners of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, also joined the WTGL. But still no Korda.
Nichols asked Korda about her thoughts on playing the WTGL, and while Korda didn’t commit to joining, she did say she was considering it.
“I’m just still weighing out the time commitment. I just haven’t really thought about it too much, because I’ve been really focused on trying to get ready for this season. I think logistically, they’re still trying to figure some stuff out, so I will just weigh out my options in the near future,” Korda said.
You can read Korda’s complete comments in Beth Ann Nichols’ story here.
