Tiger Woods and Elite US Athletes Prepare to Launch Cutting-Edge Indoor Golf League
Tiger Woods, Steph Curry, Williams sisters and other legends unite for the TGL, an innovative indoor golf league Experience golf like never before and witness sporting royalty in action Discover the game's new format and find out how to watch this game-changing venture
Tiger Woods, Steph Curry, the Williams sisters, along with several other sports legends, have joined forces in a groundbreaking high-tech venture aimed at captivating a fresh audience for golf, albeit through a unique approach. In collaboration with the PGA Tour, the televised indoor golf league known as the TGL has been conceived by TMRW Sports, a company jointly established by Woods and Rory McIlroy. Uniquely, this league will showcase 15 of the current top 20-ranked male golfers globally.
The ownership groups of the six teams consist of renowned individuals from the world of US sports, including legendary figures from tennis and the NBA, as well as influential billionaires who hold positions of power in organizations such as the NFL and the Premier League. Before the competition begins on January 9, here is a comprehensive overview of all the essential information you need to know.
What is the TGL?
In a bid to appeal to a younger demographic and integrate technology into the sport, the TGL was initially revealed in August 2022. This groundbreaking initiative establishes the SoFi Center, a custom-made arena situated at Palm Beach State College in Florida.
The venue, spanning 250,000 square feet, will accommodate 1,600 spectators and feature a course area measuring 97 by 50 yards, slightly smaller than an American football field. Golfers will aim their tee and approach shots towards a 64 by 46 foot screen before transitioning to the technologically advanced "Green Zone" for shots within 50 yards of the hole. Within the "Green Zone," there are three virtual greens that can be dynamically modified using 189 actuators and jacks, enabling organizers to adjust the slope on each hole.
A rendering of SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College.
"We're familar with the experience of being in a football stadium or a basketball arena, observing every play and moment of action unfold right before our eyes," Woods stated in an August 2022 press release.
"Its something that inherently isnt possible in traditional golf - and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans."
How does it work?
Six teams, consisting of four PGA Tour players each, will compete against each other once throughout a 15-match regular season. However, only three players from each team will participate in each match.
Following the regular season, the top four performing teams will move on to the playoffs. Through single elimination semifinals, the participants for the Championship Series will be determined. The Championship Series will be a best-of-three showdown to determine the ultimate winner.
The matches, which are worth two points for a win, consist of two sessions and 15 holes. The first nine holes are played in a three-versus-three format, where teammates take turns to alternate shots. The remaining six holes turn into a head-to-head competition between individual players.
Every hole carries a value of one point. If the scores are tied after the 15 holes, a closest to the pin competition is held with three players from each team. The team that hits two shots closer to the hole than their opponents during this overtime tiebreaker wins. The losing team in overtime receives one point overall (but no points for a regular time loss).
A rendering of the TGL course setup.
TGL
Whos involved?
Five out of six teams, each representing a distinct US city, have been officially confirmed. However, only one player has been assigned to a team at this point.
On Tuesday, Justin Thomas, a two-time major champion, was unveiled as the inaugural member of Atlanta Drive GC. This team is under the guidance of Arhthur M. Blank, the co-founder of The Home Depot and the owner of both the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United (MLS) franchises.
Among the 24 players in the group, the total count of major championships and PGA Tour wins amounts to 32 and 224 respectively. Leading the pack is Woods, who is now 47 years old and has had limited appearances in competitive events following the serious leg injuries he sustained in a car crash in 2021.
Notably, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa, and Wyndham Clark are also part of this impressive lineup. These players represent seven out of the current top-10 ranked male golfers in the world. However, it is worth mentioning that the group does not include world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, and Brian Harman.
Rahm tees off at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
The lineup includes Tom Kim, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Cam Young, Keegan Bradley, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Thomas, Sahith Theegala, Lucas Glover, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Billy Horschel, and Kevin Kisner.
TGL collaborated with its teams, players, and player management to ensure that the roster of each team consisted of four players. The objective was to ensure that a player's schedule in TGL would align well with their competitive schedule in the PGA Tour, stated the TGL in a press release. Moreover, they took into account the ESPN broadcast schedule, the competitive balance of the league and teams, and, in specific cases, factors that made each team, ownership group, and city/region distinctive.
Boston Common Golf is headed by Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which holds ownership of various renowned sports teams like the Boston Red Sox from Major League Baseball, the Pittsburgh Penguins from the National Hockey League, RFK Racing from NASCAR, and the distinguished Liverpool football club from the English Premier League.
Serena and Venus Williams, representing the United States, are seen sitting together during their first-round doubles match against Lucie Hradecká and Linda Nosková from the Czech Republic at the U.S. Open tennis championships held in New York on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The photo credit goes to Charles Krupa of AP.
The ownership group of Los Angeles Golf Clubs (LAGC) includes Serena and Venus Williams, renowned tennis sisters, as well as Alexis Ohanian, husband of the 23-time grand slam winners and co-founder of Reddit. Ohanian is also the principal owner and founding investor of Angel City FC, a franchise in the National Women's Soccer League. This group of successful individuals has invested in golf, particularly in Tiger Woods' new competition.
In addition to his three brothers, Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, holds a limited partnership in LAGC. Alongside him, there are notable individuals like Alex Morgan, a star of the US Womens National Team, and Michelle Wie West, a five-time winner of the LPGA Tour.
TGL San Francisco's ownership group comprises of Marc Lasry's Avenue Sports Fund, along with Curry, the two-time NBA MVP. Notably, Curry's former and current Golden State Warriors teammates, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson, are also investors in the team.
Meanwhile TGL New York is led by New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen and his family office, Cohen Private Ventures.
How to watch
The first match, which will last for two hours, will be broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN+ starting at 9 p.m. ET (1 a.m. GMT) on Tuesday, January 9. The second match will be aired a week later at 7 p.m. ET (11 p.m. GMT) on January 16. All matches will be shown on either ESPN channel or the ESPN+ simulcast. Tune in to ABC on Saturday, December 30 for a preview show.
