Nelly Korda isn't playing in WTGL's first season, and it's not just because she's skipping another event on the calendar. The world No. 1 has mixed feelings about the whole thing, and she thinks the league missed a real opportunity to put men and women on the same stage.

She brought it up ahead of the LPGA's season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, saying she was surprised more players hadn't spoken up about it.

"I have mixed feelings on it if I'm being very honest, and I'm surprised no other girls have, or no one's really spoken out about it," said Korda.

She went on to call it a huge miss that men and women aren't playing alongside each other in the same league, according to Beth Ann Nichols of Golfweek.

"I think it's a huge and unbelievable miss that we're not playing alongside the men, said Korda. "It would have been the first time, I think, that men and women are on the same playing field, playing for the same exact amount of money."

The WTGL already has plenty of star power committed, including Jeeno Thitikul, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson and Charley Hull. 

Rose Zhang and Lottie Woad just joined the mix too, giving the league a solid lineup heading into its winter launch. 

Korda was earlier figuring out if she would take part at all, citing the time commitment and some unresolved logistics on the league's end. But now, she has officially decided not to participate.

Why Nelly Korda believes WTGL missed a major opportunity

Korda's frustration appears to center on what she believes the league could have become. She had hoped there might be a path for women to compete alongside the men in TGL, creating a single stage where male and female golfers could compete for the same prize money.

The men's league was founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley, and McCarley had previously left the door open on the idea, telling Golfweek it was something that interested both his side and the LPGA, per the same GolfWeek report.

"I think that is something that's interesting to us and is interesting to the LPGA and is interesting to a lot of the players we're talking to," said McCarley, "but right now, we're really focused on building this out and providing, frankly, a nice stage and really nice platform to showcase the players and their personalities."

For now, though, the focus is on building out the women's league on its own before any crossover happens. It's a reasonable approach, but one that leaves Korda's original vision on hold for at least another season.

Even so, Korda made clear she isn't trying to trash the project. "I don't think that there's a downside," she said. "I just think that it would have been even greater to have both of them together."

Whether or not Korda ends up playing, her comments have already put a spotlight on what WTGL's first season could have looked like, and what it might still become down the line.

For now, the league moves forward without its biggest name, at least for the time being.

Written by

Rudra Dubey