APEX has announced several sports stars will join the likes of Steph Curry as investors of TGL San Francisco Golf Team (SFGT).
With the inaugural season of the new tech-driven golf league TGL launching in January 2025, teams across the league are looking to bring on investors. NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his three brothers became the first investors into TGL’s Los Angeles Club last September.
Since then, athletes from around the world have followed suit and become investors in other TGL teams. Led by the Milwaukee Bucks owner, Marc Lasry, the San Francisco team became the fifth team to join the league in October 2023.
The investment Manager focused on sports, media, and entertainment has announced that as part of its strategic acquisition of a stake in SFGT, they will bring with them a roster of athletes.
Golden Gate Warriors’ stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala – who are already investors – will be joined by Manchester City defender, John Stones, F1 driver Alex Albon and Olympic surfers Leonardo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi.
Antonio Cacorino, Founder and CEO of APEX, commented: “Our investment is not a passive one. Our aim is to leverage diverse fan bases across various sports to amplify TGL’s unique product and increase its reach and popularity among both golf and non-golf fans. We want to see TGL contribute to the overall growth of golf, attracting new audiences and retaining traditional fans with its tech-infused approach.
“We really look forward to collaborating with Marc Lasry, Stephen Curry, and the other NBA players in the ownership group. They are experts in cultivating large fan bases, and combined with our experience in premium sports investment and technology innovation, we will provide the San Francisco Team with a real competitive, operational, and commercial advantage.”
As part of the acquisition the athletes will take an active role in expanding the team’s fan base and driving commercial value via their own audiences. They will also participate in TGL events – including pro-am tournaments and charity events at the TGL venue – boosting the league’s profile and engagement.
Alex Albon, Formula 1 Driver, stated: “I had a chance to invest at a league level in the past through APEX, and now I’m excited to have ownership at a team level in the San Francisco franchise. It’s extra special to do it alongside experienced investors like Marc Lasry and Steph Curry. I played at the Netflix Cup in 2023, and I believe these innovative concepts will act as a gateway for a younger demographic audience to access golf as a sport.”
Meanwhile, Leo Fioravanti, World Tour & Olympic Surfer, expressed his excitement to invest in the San Francisco franchise alongside experienced investors like Marc Lasry, APEX, and ‘some great athletes such as Steph Curry’.
“I’m a huge golf fan and I’ve seen how tech-infused concepts grow a sport’s popularity – it happened in surfing when the Surf Ranch was built, and multiple wave pools followed,” he added. “I believe that TGL will play an important role in the growth of golf and, consequently, turn this into a great investment.”
Meanwhile, Kanoa Igarashi, World Tour & Olympic Surfer, concluded: “Thanks to my active relationship with APEX, I’ve been an investor in TGL’s parent company since its early days. Now, having a chance to acquire a minority stake in one of the teams shows how confident I am about this new entertaining format of golf, which will attract a wider audience to the sport. Can’t wait to get involved and drive value into this project.”
