Jon Rahm, the Masters champion, has withdrawn from his appearance in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlory’s first season of The Golf League.
Rahm said in a Twitter post: “I regret to confirm that I will not be participating in the inaugural TGL season.
“While I still think it’s a great opportunity, at this point it requires a level of commitment that I can’t provide. Good luck to everyone involved (sic) and may the best team win!’.
Rahm has been excluded from all promotions for the company, which launches in January 2024. Play kicks off on January 9, with the ESPN networks showing the action across 15 regular season games, plus the semifinals and finals.
There is a tremendous amount of positivity surrounding the idea of Woods and McIlroy, and Rahm’s withdrawal is the first real setback the country will face.
Masters champion Jon Rahm has withdrawn from the Golf League of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
The news is a blow to McIlroy and Woods as the competition kicks off in just two months
But there are still a range of elite names competing, with big winners like Adam Scott, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley and Shane Lowry lining up.
Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Atlanta all have franchises representing these areas, with a sixth yet to be announced. There are also a range of high-profile investors.
John Henry, Tom Werner and Fenway Sports Group – which owns the Red Sox, Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins – have backed the Boston team.
Serena Williams is involved with the LA team along with Alexis Ohanian and sister Venus and Mets owner Steven A. Cohen is behind the New York franchise.
The competition is held every Monday at the SoFi Center in Florida and includes 15 regular season matches, a semi-final and a final.