Motor City Golf Club, the newest franchise in the men’s TGL golf competition, will also enter the women’s WTGL competition in 2026, with the support of investment from a group that includes billionaire Rob Walton.
Announced as the seventh men’s TGL franchise earlier in 2026, ahead of the 2027 TGL season, Motor City Golf Club will also enter WTGL ahead of that project’s inaugural season as the fourth franchise.
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As with the men’s team, the franchise is led by investment firm Middle West Partners, led by principals Michael Hamp, Peter Hamp and Kevin Kelleher.
Speaking on the announcement, Michael Hamp said: “Detroit is one of America's greatest sports cities, and our fans have welcomed and shown early excitement for Motor City Golf Club as we build toward our TGL debut.
“Our goal with Motor City Golf Club from the start was to be a club and team for everyone who loves our city and loves golf. Joining WTGL to help create a world-class platform for women's team golf is an exciting and obvious next chapter for our ownership group.”
The wide-ranging ownership group also includes Walton, his partner Jordan Rose Walton, US entrepreneur Kal Somani, Kit Hawkins, and Vansa Chatikavanij of investment funds Present Ventures, fellow investment funds Ronin Capital partners and Eberg Group, and existing TGL partner RHC Group.
RHC Group’s Lin Wang added: “Women's golf is growing rapidly, the talent on the LPGA Tour is exceptional, and WTGL will create a powerful new stage for the game's best players. We believe WTGL presents a tremendous opportunity in the US, Asia, and Europe, and Motor City Golf Club wanted to be part of it from the very beginning."
Middle West, Somani, the Waltons, and Present Ventures were also all engaged together in a recent unsuccessful bid to acquire the Rajasthan Royals franchise of Indian cricket’s elite Indian Premier League.
Walton, the heir to the Walmart corporation, is currently the richest WTGL team investor, and already owns the Denver Broncos NFL American football franchise, and his family holds a minority stake in the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team.
WTGL, created in partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), will launch in late 2026 and feature teams of LPGA Tour players competing across a season of team match play from the purpose-built SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
In WTGL, teams of players will hit shots at a five-storey-high simulator screen before moving to a green that can rotate 360 degrees, creating hole-to-hole variations.
The inaugural men's TGL season was held in 2025, with the second season getting underway on December 28. The campaign will end with a best-of-three final on March 23.
Arthur Blank, the prominent US businessman, was the first to commit to WTGL, with the Atlanta Drive GC franchise becoming the first confirmed entrant.
He was soon followed by Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of social media site Reddit and founder of venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, who acquired the Los Angeles Golf Club WTGL franchise rights.
The third franchise, a New York-based team, was bought by Steven A. Cohen, owner of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.
And now the Motor City Golf Club has entered WTGL also, marking the league’s fourth franchise, and confirming that all four ownership groups are helmed by existing TGL franchise investors.
