The Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy backed TGL makes its debut on Tuesday night following a year-long delay and amid a myriad of questions about the new virtual golf league.
Here is what fans need to know about the league, and how to follow Tuesday’s first match.
WHAT IS THE TGL?
Woods and McIlroy were joined by former NBC Sports executive Mike McCarley in co-founding the TGL, which falls under its parent company of TMRW Sports. The PGA Tour is also a partner in the new league.
All matches will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+ on Monday or Tuesday nights, and take place at the 1,500-seat SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt will lead the television coverage.
Unofficially standing for “Tomorrow’s Golf League,” the TGL was first announced in 2022 and originally scheduled to launch in January of 2024. However, a storm in November of 2023 resulted in a power outage that caused extensive damage when roof of the former air-supported dome collapsed.
Built specifically for the TGL, the facility was rebuilt as a steel structure capable of withstanding hurricane-strength winds. It now features 18 Full Swing radar detectors along with eight Top Tracer optical cameras.
Players tee off grass into a 46-by-64 simulator screen. A synthetic green sits on a 41-yard turnable area that includes bunkers, and slopes that can be adjusted each hole.
Each of the 15-holes on the par 60 layout is unique and were not designed to replicate any holes from real golf courses.
MATCH FORMAT
Matches will be played indoors on a simulator, with three players from each team competing in 15-hole matches. Each hole counts for one point.
A player will have 40 seconds to hit a shot before incurring a one-stroke penalty. Each team is afforded four timeouts during a match.
Another element is the “Hammer,” which one team holds during a match and can toss onto the course to double the value of a given hole to two points. The team that is challenged can decline and concede the hole, while then taking control of the Hammer. It can be used multiple times on a hole.
All matches will go the full 15 holes, even if one team has clinched a win earlier. If a match is tied following 15 holes, the match will be decided by a best two-out-of-three closest-to-the-pin competition from 25-50 yards.
LEAGUE FORMAT
Each team will compete in 15 regular season matches through March 4. Four teams will advance to a playoff that concludes March 25, with the winning team winning $9 million out of a total $21 million purse.
“The first thing I’d like people to know is that it’s golf re-imagined. Sort of trying to take golf into the 21st century,” McIlroy told ESPN on Saturday. “We have teams. Obviously, we have a lot of technology involved, trying to bring (golf) into the digital era. A lot of things we’ve taken from other sports, like a shot clock, a timeout, which you don’t see in regular golf. Trying to appeal to that bigger sports audience out there.”
TEAMS (6)
The league includes 24 PGA Tour members. Jon Rahm withdrew after initially committing to the TGL, which does not allow LIV Golf players.
Los Angeles Golf Club: Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood
Atlanta Drive Golf Club: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover
Boston Common Golf: Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott
Jupiter Links Golf Club: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner
New York Golf Club: Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young
The Bay Golf Club: Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry
DEBUT TEAMS & TIME
The Bay GC takes on the New York GC at 9 p.m. ET.
Lowry will hit the first shot in TGL history when he tees off on the 380-yard par 4 called “The Plank.” He will be joined on The Bay by Aberg and Clark, with Lee sitting out the first match.
Fitzpatrick, Fowler and Schauffele are starting for New York, with Young sitting out.
While Woods and McIlroy are not competing in the season-opening event, both of the local Florida residents and co-founders of the league are expected to be in attendance.
LOOKING AHEAD
Jupiter Links will make its debut Jan. 14 when it faces Los Angeles GC.
Atlanta Drive GC will make its debut Jan. 21 against NYGC, while Boston Common will play its first match Jan. 27 against Jupiter Links.
–Field Level Media
