Rory McIlroy’s friend, Niall Horan, now owns part of Boston Common.
Horan’s company, Greenbridge Ventures, joins forces with Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures to support the team in a new tech-based golf league. The former One Direction star will also be an ambassador for the team, leveraging his 72 million social media followers.
The two met in Sydney back in 2014. Since then, Horan has caddied for McIlroy at The Masters Par 3 contest and supported him at events like the Ryder Cup and Dubai Desert Classic . They’ve even played together in several Pro-Ams.
In a statement on Boston Common’s website, Horan shared his excitement: “Golf has been a lifelong passion of mine and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting new venture alongside my investment group Greenbridge Ventures in partnership with Fenway Sports Group and Rory.”
New Tech-Infused Golf League:
TGL will have six teams of four players each hitting shots into a giant simulator screen before finishing out holes on real greens inside Florida’s SoFi Center. The first season starts January 2025 after a year’s delay. Each team plays 15 matches plus playoffs during primetime slots on ESPN.
Fans might think this new format is really cool!
Boston Common will compete against other teams like Atlanta Drive GC and Los Angeles Golf Club. Investors include big names like Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen, Alexis Ohanian among others.
Hideki Matsuyama is the latest addition to Boston Common’s squad. He replaces Tyrrell Hatton who moved to LIV Golf making him ineligible for PGA Tour-affiliated competitions. Matsuyama joins McIlroy along with Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott.
日本ゴルフ界の未来を背負って🇯🇵
松山英樹、ボストンへようこそ！
Carrying the future of Japan golf 🇯🇵
Welcome to Boston, @HidekiOfficial_
— Boston Common Golf Japan (@commongolf_JP)
Matsuyama expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m excited to join Boston Common Golf and be part of TGL… Together we can push the boundaries of golf.”
All four players have won Major championships: McIlroy (four), Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Scott (2013 Masters), Matsuyama (2021 Masters). Adding Matsuyama boosts their appeal especially in Asia .
.@NiallOfficial took The Show on the road to the @TGL Performance Lab to get a sneak peak of what’s to come in January 👀⛳️
— Boston Common Golf (@commongolf)
Mark Lev from Boston Common said: “We deeply appreciate Hideki joining this groundbreaking venture… His calm demeanor complements Rory’s dynamic skills.”
What do you think about these changes?
