TGL Golf is adding a seventh team for the 2027 season that will represent Detroit, the tech-infused golf league announced Tuesday.
Motor City Golf will be co-owned by Steve Hamp and Sheila Ford Hamp, who is the principal owner and chairwoman of the Detroit Lions. Michael Hamp, Peter Hamp and Kevin Kelleher, will lead the franchise.
Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton and attorney Jordan Rose are also part of the ownership group.
“This is a great moment for Detroit sports and a proud moment for me personally,” Michael Hamp, a co-owner of Middle West Partners and Motor City Golf Club’s new team governor, said in a statement.
“My grandfather, William Clay Ford Sr., was an avid golfer, and I believe bringing a new format of the game he loved would make him really proud. I’m incredibly grateful for our partners at MCGC – it’s an honor to build this team together. Detroit’s fans are the most loyal in sports, and we’re excited to represent our city in TGL and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud to support.”
In its inaugural season, TGL had six teams representing Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco/Oakland and Jupiter, Florida. The teams consisted of four golfers with three competing each match at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
It’s unclear if TGL intends to expand before its second season, which is slated to begin in January 2026.
In April, the Associated Press reported that a group was planning to bid for a TGL franchise in Dallas with a price tag of $77 million.
TGL, which is fronted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is also exploring matching involving LPGA stars.
“Detroit is a fantastic sports town,” TGL and TMRW Sports CEO Mike McCarley said in a statement. “The city has a championship legacy and Detroit fans are passionate about their teams and they’ll let you know it.
“The ownership group for Motor City Golf Club will utilize their deep ties to the community and extensive expertise as NFL team owners to forge a TGL team that embodies Detroit’s culture for sports and the region’s love of golf.”
