'Golf reimagined' - McIlroy & Woods' TGL set to begin
Rory McIlroy will make his TGL debut on 27 January
- Published
Rory McIlroy says Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL), the technology-driven version of the sport he is fronting with Tiger Woods, will help take golf "into the 21st century".
The TGL begins on Wednesday (02:00 GMT) in Florida after a 12-month delay.
The virtual contest had been scheduled for a January 2024 launch but was delayed after a power outage caused the collapse of the air-supported dome roof at the SoFi Center in Florida.
"The first thing I would like to have people know is it's golf, but it's reimagined, sort of trying to take golf into the 21st century," McIlroy told ESPN.
"We have teams, obviously there's a lot of technology involved, trying to bring it into the digital era. A lot of things that we've taken from other sports like a shot clock, a timeout, things that you don't see in regular golf.
"[We're] trying to appeal to that bigger sports audience out there."
What is the TGL?
TGL, which will feature six squads of four players, is run by TMRW Sports, the technology-focused sports company launched by Woods and McIlroy in August 2022.
Tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, NBA star Stephen Curry and Liverpool owners the Fenway Sports Group are among the backers.
Each team will play five matches in a round-robin league format between 7 January and 4 March, with the top four sides earning a spot in the play-offs, which begin on 17 March.
How do TGL matches work?
Woods recently teamed up with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship, where they finished second to Bernhard Langer and his son Jason
Before each match, teams will pick three players to compete in 15-hole contests that will be split into two sessions: nine holes of three-man alternate shots followed by six holes of singles head-to-head play.
Points are awarded for winning a hole and the team with the most points at the end is the winner. In the event of a draw, the winner will be decided by a nearest-the-pin contest.
The golfers - who will wear microphones - begin holes by hitting shots into a 64x53ft screen (around 24 times bigger than a normal golf sim) at the Sofi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, which will host the entire series.
"Every time I step in here I'm just blown away by the size of the screen, the fact that we're able to put something that looks like golf on a stage like this," added McIlroy.
"It's really cool and we're obviously really excited about it within the game of golf."
About 1,500 spectators will fit around the playing arena, which is approximately 100 yards long by 50 yards wide.
Once less than 50 yards from the hole, the players will switch from the simulator to hitting into live-action greens.
A 41-yard wide turntable will rotate the green and three bunkers each hole, while 600 motorised actuators will alter the slopes of the putting surface.
Thirty holes have been designed for the competition, with 15 in use for each match.
To keep the action speedy, a 40-second shot clock will be in operation. Any player who takes longer than 40 seconds will receive a one-stroke penalty. Teams will also have four timeouts.
How does the TGL points system work?
Winners pick up two points while losers get zero points.
If the match is settled by a nearest the pin competition, the winner will receive two points, while the loser picks up a point.
The four teams at the top of the table at the end of the season advance to the semi-finals before the best-of-three final, starting on 24 March.
When are Woods and McIlroy in action?
Neither Woods nor McIlroy are in action on the opening night.
Instead, Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick will feature alongside Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele for New York Golf Club against The Bay, who are comprised of Irishman Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark.
Fifteen-time major winner Woods is scheduled to compete on 14 January with his Jupiter Links Golf Club team, which also includes Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner.
Woods returned to competitive action in December at the PNC Championship, where he teamed up with his son Charlie. It was Woods' first event since the Open Championship in July, after having further back surgery in September.
World number three McIlroy is set to make his debut on 27 January as part of Boston Common Golf Club alongside Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott.
Who are the teams?
European Ryder Cup team-mates Lowry (left) and Fitzpatrick will feature on opposing sides in the first match
As mentioned, McIlroy is teaming up with Matsuyama - who is fresh from breaking a PGA Tour scoring record - US Ryder Cup captain Bradley and former Masters winner Scott.
Several of golf's top stars are part of the series, including world number two Schauffele, two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, former US Open champion Justin Rose and fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, who is nursing a hand injury he sustained while cooking Christmas dinner, will not feature in the TGL.
Atlanta Drive GC
Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover
Boston Common GC
Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott
Jupiter Links GC
Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner
Los Angeles GC
Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood
New York GC
Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young
The Bay GC
Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry
TGL schedule
All times in GMT (five hours ahead of Florida)
8 January, 02:00: New York GC v The Bay GC
15 January, 02:00: Los Angeles GC v Jupiter Links GC
22 January, 00:00: New York GC v Atlanta Drive GC
27 January, 23:30: Jupiter Links GC v Boston Common GC
5 February, 02:00: Boston Common GC v Los Angeles GC
17 February, 18:00: Atlanta Drive GC v Los Angeles GC
17 February, 21:00: Atlanta Drive GC v The Bay GC
18 February, 00:00: The Bay GC v Boston Common GC
19 February, 00:00: Jupiter Links GC v New York GC
24 February, 22:00: Los Angeles GC v New York GC
25 February, 02:00: Boston Common GC v Atlanta Drive GC
26 February, 02:00: The Bay GC v Jupiter Links GC
3 March, 20:00: The Bay GC v Los Angeles GC
4 March, 00:00: New York GC v Boston Common GC
5 March, 00:00: Jupiter Links GC v Atlanta Drive GC
Play-offs
18 March, 00:00: Semi-final one
19 March, 00:00: Semi-final two
24 March, time TBD: Final, game one of three
26 March, 00:00: Final, game two of three
26 March, 02:00: Final, game three of three (if required)
How can I watch?
Sky Sports will be broadcasting the TGL in the UK.