Nelly Korda: ‘Unbelievable miss’ that TGL did not form coed league

TGL, the tech-infused simulator golf league that recently began its second season, has been lauded by pro golfers and fans alike for its innovation and for bringing new fans into the sport.

Earlier this month, the league announced it’d expand into the women’s game with the creation of WTGL, set to launch next year. WTGL has already secured commitments from many of the biggest stars in women’s golf, including world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang, Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson, and Lottie Woad.

Among the big names that haven’t yet committed to the project is Nelly Korda. On Tuesday, Korda spoke with the media before the LPGA Tour’s season-opening event in Orlando and expressed her “mixed feelings” about WTGL as a product.

“I have mixed feelings on it if I’m being very honest,” Korda told Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, “and I’m surprised no other girls have, or no one’s really spoken out about it. I think it’s a huge and unbelievable miss that we’re not playing alongside the men. 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. But I also think it’s great that we are getting this opportunity, so that’s my mixed feelings.”

The idea of a coed form of TGL has been floated since the league’s inception. Mixed-gender green-grass events, like the Grant Thornton Invitational, have been met with widespread praise in the golf community. Fans are eager to see more mixed competitions, and TGL seems like the perfect platform to bring them to life.

Golf tournaments played on real courses are set up quite differently for men’s and women’s events. Obviously, the men play from tees farther back. But factors like pin position, green speed, and rough thickness also differ depending on whether it’s a men’s or women’s tournament.

Those factors could hypothetically be equalized in a TGL environment, making the value proposition of a coed league all the more appealing. That said, it’s still possible TGL moves in this direction in the future, though nothing is in the works yet.

As for Nelly Korda, she’s still deciding whether to participate in WTGL. “I’m just still weighing out the time commitment,” she told Golfweek. “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.”