A sports technology and media firm launched by two of the golf world’s most famous names is said to be eyeballing Charleston and several other cities in its hunt for a new corporate headquarters.
But the prize — up to 195 high-paying jobs and an $11 million capital investment — looks to be a longshot for all but one of the contenders.
TMRW Sports, co-founded by golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy — who claimed the second of his six major wins at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course in 2012 — is considering moving its corporate office from Winter Park, Fla.
An official government document showed Charleston is on the company’s radar, along with three locations in the New York City area; Stamford, Conn.; and Orlando
It appears that the latter — just five miles south of Winter Park — is leading the field.
Elected officials in Orlando voted unanimously this month to sweeten the financial incentive pot they’re offering to lure TMRW to their downtown.
“So it continues our commitment to growing Orlando’s sports and technology sectors,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said during a July 13 meeting.
The company needs about 40,000 square feet of office space. It plans to move about 70 employees now based in Winter Park and hire 125 more over the next five years. According to an Orlando City Council document, the median annual wage for the existing workers at TMRW is $135,000, with benefits totaling almost $30,000. The future jobs would pay slightly more.
“TMRW is considering relocating their headquarters to … Orlando in order to enhance their business opportunities with potential customers in the region,” according to a summary of the incentives by the city’s economic development department.
The company had not publicly disclosed as of July 24 whether it has made a decision about its new home, and it did not respond to requests for comment from The Post and Courier.
TMRW — a truncated version of “tomorrow” — was started about four years ago by Woods, McIlroy and CEO Mike McCarley with a focus “on building technology-focused ventures that feature progressive approaches to sports, media and entertainment.” Longtime television executive Dick Ebersol joined them as an early investor, according to a 2022 report in the New York Times.
The startup is best known for its televised TMRW Golf League, or TGL, which features teams of PGA players competing in front of a live audience on an indoor simulated course.
TMRW’s future offerings include the NFL Flag Football League. The company also is launching a female version of its men’s virtual golf league called WTGL and has lined up commitments from 14 top professionals, such as Charley Hull, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.
It’s unclear how serious TMRW is looking at the Charleston area and the other cities beyond its home state, where Tiger and Rory are longtime residents of posh Jupiter Island, about 150 miles southeast of Orlando.
The S.C. Commerce Department, which typically is involved in high-profile corporate relocations, declined to say last week whether it’s aware of the deal or if it’s teed up an offer for the company.
“Due to the competitive nature of economic development, S.C. Commerce only comments on projects that have selected South Carolina as a location to establish or expand operations and have publicly announced a South Carolina location for either purpose,” a spokesperson said in a July 22 written statement.