Nelly Korda Becomes a No Show as Tiger Woods’ WTGL Signs Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson & More

Tiger Woods changed golfing dynamics when he was in his prime as a player. Now, even though he is close to retirement, Woods is doing exactly the same thing, trying to bring in more and more innovations to the sport. Following the recent success of TGL, the legend is now concentrating on expanding the scope for the LPGA stars. And as the WTGL is scheduled to launch in the winter of 2026-27, the tournament is already making some significant news. Surprisingly, despite some big names coming in, Nelly Korda remained a no-show.

“First wave locked in. Welcome to WTGL, LPGA standouts Brooke Henderson, Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Jeeno Thitikul, and Lexi Thompson,” read the X post from TGL.

As per the recent announcement, WTGL has signed its first wave of committed golfers. Roping in some of the LPGA’s biggest stars, TMRW Sports’ official announcement included names such as World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Brooke Henderson, Hall of Famer Lydia Ko, 3x champion Charley Hull, and major champion Lexi Thompson.

The development is surely a positive step in terms of the future of women’s golf. As of now, the contests are scheduled to take place at the custom-built SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens.

While there is a lot of excitement following the update, there is one particular thing that is bothering golf enthusiasts. And that is none other than the absence of the 2x major winner and Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda. This comes as quite a surprise as Korda consistently voiced her concerns for more LPGA exposure.

Attending the presser ahead of her 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational appearance, Korda was asked about her opinions on how important it was for the LPGA and PGA Tour stars to play together.

At the time, the 27-year-old stated, “Yeah, the best way to grow the game is for us to come together and lift each other up, support each other. That’s what this tournament does. At the end of the day, it showcases the best women and men coming together and having fun and playing something different, something that we don’t get to do every single day.”

Thus, despite having so much excitement for an expansive LPGA experience, it is unknown why Korda hasn’t signed up for the WTGL yet. It is also not confirmed if she will be joining the league at a later date.

However, despite Korda’s absence, there is plenty of positivity around the WTGL.

TMRW Sports founder doubles down on WTGL following TGL’s successful debut

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods joined hands with NBC Sports executive Mike McCarley to start TMRW Sports. They have been the minds behind the successful inaugural season of TGL and they have now decided to move forward with the women’s indoor tech-league. And as it appears, the McCarley is looking forward to the WTGL, which is scheduled to kick off at the end of 2026.

Imago

Mike McCarley reflected on the matter and shared, “WTGL will be a global stage to showcase LPGA Tour stars, and this first wave of committed players represents that opportunity with some of the world’s best.”

He further added, “These players will thrive in WTGL’s competitive environment as fans will witness their skill and connect more deeply with their personalities through the unprecedented access the league delivers with every player mic’d in the modern match play team format.”

McCarley and Co. will now be hoping to sign Korda as the 2-time Major winner’s presence will surely add a lot of excitement to what is already a historic event in terms of the women’s sport.