Yoon I-na joins Boston Common Golf for inaugural WTGL season

Yoon will be the only Korean player in the first season of the women’s tech-driven screen golf league, joining the Boston Common Golf team.

Golfer Yoon I-na of Korea hits from a bunker on the third hole during the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on June 28.
AP/YONHAP

Yoon I-na will be the only Korean player in the inaugural Women’s Tomorrow’s Golf League (WTGL), the women’s version of the tech-driven screen golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, according to an exclusive report by the JoongAng Ilbo. 

The official five-team rosters are slated to be announced on Aug. 31 

The WTGL will launch with Atlanta Drive Golf Club (GC), Boston Common Golf, Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC), Motor City Golf Club (MCGC) and New York Golf Club (NYGC), each consisting of five players, with the official rosters recently finalized, according to golf industry and management agency sources.

Being the only Korean player taking part, Yoon has been assigned to Boston alongside France’s Celine Boutier, the U.S.’s Megan Khang, Britain’s Lottie Woad and Japan’s Chisato Iwai. Yoon finished runner-up at this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, has recorded five top-10 finishes and currently ranks No. 5 in the CME standings, a long-season points race on the LPGA Tour. 

Yoon’s strong performance, powerful driving, star appeal and ability to communicate in English are believed to have played a role in her selection.

The WTGL could give Yoon more opportunities to interact with male stars such as Woods and McIlroy and expand her fan base in the United States.

A number of players of Korean descent are also taking part in the league. Korean American Michelle Wie West, who is returning to competition after retirement, will serve as captain of LAGC, while Korean American Alison Lee will also join LAGC. Korean Australian Minjee Lee and Korean American Andrea Lee will play for Atlanta, while Korean New Zealander Lydia Ko and Korean American Danielle Kang will join NYGC.

Japanese players will also have a strong presence. Major champion Yuka Saso will play for Atlanta, while twin sisters Akie Iwai and Chisato Iwai, who established themselves on the Japanese tour before moving onto the global stage, will join LAGC and Boston, respectively.

Yoon I-na of Korea hits on the eighth hole during the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on June 28.
AP/YONHAP

Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, LAGC and NYGC will retain the teams and home markets of their existing TGL counterparts. MCGC was newly established by a new investor group and will be based in Detroit, Michigan, also known as the Motor City, as the longtime heart of the U.S. auto industry. MCGC’s roster includes several of the LPGA’s biggest stars, including Jeeno Thitikul, Lexi Thompson, Yin Ruoning and Brooke Henderson.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran and No. 4 Kim Hyo-joo were left off the roster. Korda reportedly declined to participate in the league because of her focus on LPGA Tour majors, fatigue from a demanding tour schedule and difficulties coordinating her personal schedule.

The men’s TGL, launched earlier under the leadership of Woods and McIlroy, has completed two seasons with a format combining cutting-edge technology and entertainment. Tom Kim has been the only Korean player in the league, competing alongside Woods for Jupiter Links Golf Club. The launch of the WTGL now brings women’s golf into a new era of team-based screen golf competition.

BY SUNG HO-JUN [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.