Category: TGL

Tiger Woods is fired up for the start of TGL: ‘It’s starting to feel real’

There is only one TGL team brand and roster left to be revealed and that should be happening very soon.

TGL, the Palm Beach Gardens-based interactive golf league, is “full steam ahead” according to one of its co-founders, Hall of Famer Tiger Woods.

Woods, the Jupiter Island resident, answered questions via e-mail exclusively for The Palm Beach Post about his team, Jupiter Links GC, and the league that has overcome the setback of the roof on its original building collapsing in November due to a power outage and wind storm. The incident forced the start date to be pushed back one year.

“Once we have all teams and rosters finalized, I think people will start to learn more about our competition, technology and format,” Woods said. “It’s starting to feel real and I couldn’t be more excited for January.”

Woods’ team, which includes Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner, was revealed Monday. All six four-man rosters are known, with the exception of two spots. The San Francisco team has yet to be officially revealed.

The final piece was TMRW Sports Group, which owns TGL, receiving approval from Palm Beach State College to construct a permanent arena on its campus along PGA Boulevard. That came one month ago. The venue, which will be known as the SoFi Center, will have seating for 1,500 fans.

TMRW Sports was formed by sports executive Mike McCarley, Woods and Jupiter’s Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA Tour.

The league is scheduled to launch Jan. 7 with matches held once a week. The plan is for each team to play five matches followed by playoffs.

2022 Open Championship
Max Homa and Tiger Woods interact during Day One of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 14, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Here is what Woods told The Post about his team and the progress being made:

Q: How did Jupiter Links GC come together?

A: “TGL league policy was to prioritize player schedules first so that all the guys could commit to and play their normal, desired PGA Tour schedule. Last thing we wanted was a player to not play in an event due to a TGL match.

“With that, I have three guys on my team that I enjoy being around, that I know are going to work hard and grind as team members, can talk a little trash and will have a great time. If I compete in something, I want to win. Jupiter Links now has one of the top all-around players in the world in Max Homa, one of the fastest-rising young stars in Tom Kim and I’ll put Kiz up against anyone in team play. So while I didn’t hand pick this team, I’m thrilled at where Jupiter Links Golf Club stands.”

Q: What do you like about how each players’ game fits the TGL format?

A: “I think each player is going to bring a lot of game and personality to Jupiter Links. TGL’s format, which includes a shot clock, time outs, and both team and individual match play, is really going to highlight our players’ talents and bring a fresh, modern, and fast-paced twist to the game we all love so much.”

Q: What is your excitement level on how TGL is progressing with its new venue, teams being announced?

A: “We are full steam ahead on the new design and build of SoFi Center and after this Jupiter Links announcement, there is only one TGL team brand and roster left to be revealed – the San Francisco team – and that should be happening very soon.

“Once we have all teams and rosters finalized, I think people will start to learn more about our competition, technology and format. It’s starting to feel real and I couldn’t be more excited for January.”

Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

Tiger Woods, Max Homa highlight TGL roster for Jupiter Links Golf Club

A rising star and PGA Tour veteran round out the four-man team.

Like most players of his generation, Max Homa grew up idolizing Tiger Woods on the golf course. Now the two are teammates.

TGL, the tech-infused golf league backed by Woods and Rory McIlroy slated to now start early in 2025, announced its latest team roster on Monday morning. Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club will feature the fan-favorite Homa, rising star Tom Kim and veteran Kevin Kisner.

“I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” said Woods, who is part owner of Jupiter Links. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter area and connect with our fans for years to come.”

The club said the logo “brings to life the vibrant energy of Jupiter, with the ‘Palm Flag’ signature element combining beach and golf lifestyle with a golf pin flag and palm tree. The handwritten font is a nod to Tiger’s signature and the palm branches breaking the red circle represent the rising sun on the horizon.” As for the colors, the primary is, of course, “Tiger Red,” alongside midnight blue, sand and sunrise.

Jupiter Links logo
Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner will play for Jupiter Links Golf Club in the TGL. (Photo: Courtesy of TGL)

David Blitzer, co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, is personally investing in Jupiter Links GC. Harris and Blitzer’s impressive portfolio include the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Blitzer is also a co-owner of MLB’s Cleveland Guardians and the NFL’s Washington Commanders, as well as a General Partner of Crystal Palace Football Club in the English Premier League. He also owns stake in Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake of and the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League.

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New York-based TGL team to feature Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young

New York Golf Club is the latest TGL team to be announced.

The New York TGL team has one player on its roster from the Empire State, but it also has two California boys and an Englishman.

New York Golf Club is the latest TGL team to be announced, and it will compete in the league beginning in January 2025. Its four-player roster is comprised of Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler.

“New Yorkers expect and deserve the best, and we couldn’t be more excited to have four of the best players in the world serve as an extension of the thriving golf and sporting culture of our city and region,” said Steve Cohen, owner of the NYGC and the New York Mets. “Rickie, Xander, Matt, and Cameron’s unwavering dedication to the sport, successful track records, and passion for winning is undisputable, and we look forward to watching them compete on golf’s newest stage.”

Per the release, “NYGC’s logo is inspired by New York’s state bird, the Eastern Bluebird. These birds are commonly found where forests meet fields, and particularly on golf courses. Our design features a dynamic swinging club crafted into the form of a wing with four grooves, one for each of our players. The circle pays homage to the circles on our scorecards and the iconic NYC Subway circle.”

Since turning professional in 2009, Fowler has recorded 10 wins, including the 2015 Players Championship. His most recent title came at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic last July.

Schauffele has been a top-10 player in the world for the better part of the last five years. Since turning professional in 2015, he has recorded seven PGA Tour titles, two DP World Tour wins and an Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo.

Fitzpatrick became England’s first major champion since 2016 when he won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, joining Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at the same venue.

In 2022, Young earned Rookie of the Year honors when he became the seventh player since 1980 to collect five runner-up finishes in a season on Tour, including a second-place finish at the Open Championship and T-3 at the PGA Championship.

More on the league’s format can be found here.

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TGL announces official launch date and unveils rendering of new arena design

TGL will debut Tuesday, Jan. 7 in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.

TGL announced the launch dates of its inaugural season in January 2025 on Monday and released the first renderings of its new stadium.

The team virtual-golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports will debut Tuesday, Jan. 7 in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.

The six-team league of PGA Tour pros competing in a fast-paced form of team golf within the custom-built SoFi Center, a 250,000-square-foot venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, suffered a setback when the roof collapsed on the original tech-infused arena for golf due to a power failure, causing damage to the air-supported dome. The virtual golf league was postponed for this year.

According to a press release, SoFi Center will create an intimate and unique “greenside” fan experience with 1,500 seats wrapping around TGL’s field of play, which at 97 yards long and 50 yards wide is almost the size of a football field. New design plans for SoFi Center’s steel-supported structure have been officially unveiled.

Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi

“As we plan the 2025 launch of TGL presented by SoFi, we now have the first three Tuesdays in January circled to introduce sports fans to this new form of team golf. January is a tremendous time of year for fans looking for prime-time sports and TGL’s launch will complement the start of the PGA Tour season and take advantage of ESPN’s promotional machine across their coverage of the NFL and college football playoffs,” said Mike McCarley, founder and CEO of TMRW Sports.

The integration of the league’s technology mix starts with teams teeing off from real grass tee boxes to play custom-designed, virtual holes projected onto a 3,000-square-foot screen (64 feet by 46 feet), more than 20 times larger than a standard golf simulator screen. Once teams are inside approximately 50 yards they will transition to live action and finish each hole within TGL’s GreenZone, a 22,475-square-foot short game complex that transforms between holes. The GreenZone will use advanced technology to make each hole a unique challenge for the teams, including its 41-yard-wide turntable that rotates the green and three bunkers to change approach angles and using nearly 600 motorized actuators as part of Full Swing’s Virtual Green technology embedded under the synthetic putting surface to morph its topography.

TGL’s technology mix allows for every shot to be broadcast live, teams playing within a 40-second shot clock, all players being mic’d, delivery of advance shot data, and other broadcast enhancements.

So far, three of the team rosters have been announced:

Atlanta Drive GC: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, and Lucas Glover.

Boston Common Golf: Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and fourth team member to be announced.

Los Angeles GC: Tommy Fleetwood, Sahith Theegala, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Rose.

Jupiter Links GC: Tiger Woods and remaining roster to be announced.

TGL New York: To be announced.

TGL San Francisco: To be announced.

Additional Committed TGL Players: Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim, Cameron Young, Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry, and Kevin Kisner.

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TMRW Sports changes plans for TGL, to build steel venue, per report

Construction on the venue is not expected to impact TGL’s planned launch date of January 2025.

The TGL is going to have an upgraded venue when it begins in January 2025.

TMRW Sports is building an updated structure before the TGL launches next year, according to the Sports Business Journal. The league postponed its initial launch plans after the competition bubble at the SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College in Florida was damaged in November.

TMRW Sports has plans to build a structure with insulated steel walls and a steel-supported roof, according to SBJ. Seating capacity isn’t expected to change, and the dimensions of the facility will also remain similar. The full footprint for SoFi Center’s plaza is 250,000 square feet, while the venue footprint itself is 150,000 square feet.

The newly built SoFi Center will be rated to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, whereas the air-supported venue that was damaged in November was only rated to withstand a Category 4.

“TMRW Sports was pleased to have the opportunity to provide an update on its plan for constructing the upgraded venue using improved design elements and materials,” a TMRW Sports spokesperson said in a statement to Golfweek. “The College is performing their duty and asking the right questions as part of a standard due diligence process.

“Our aim is to create a venue that the College and Palm Beach communities, as well as our fans and partners, will enjoy visiting for years to come. This is part of the process, and we are appreciative of both our wide-ranging partnership with Palm Beach State College and their agreement to create a special March meeting date ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on April 16.”

SBJ reported TMRW Sports co-founder Mike McCarley made a presentation to Palm Beach State College’s Board of Trustees in February looking for an amendment to the lease for the facility, and the group is scheduled to vote on it next Tuesday or Friday, according to its website.

Construction on the venue could begin as soon as the college’s BOT approves the plan. Construction on the venue is not expected to impact TGL’s planned launch date of January 2025.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-backed TGL pushes start date to 2025 due to recent stadium issue

“The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement,” said Rory McIlroy.

Just 50 days before the first TGL event was scheduled to be played the new tech-infused golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy has announced play will be postponed until early 2025.

According to the league, a temporary power system and its backup system caused the SoFi Center dome – the host venue that was still under construction for TGL matches on the campus of Palm Beach State College – to deflate overnight on Tuesday, Nov. 14. While the air-supported dome section of the venue was damaged, there were no injuries and the league reports that most of the technology was not impacted.

A league statement noted the decision was made after the review of short-term solutions, potential construction timelines, player schedules and the primetime sports television calendar. TGL matches were slated to be broadcast by ESPN starting Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, the day after the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement. Above all, we are happy that no one was injured. We are looking forward to the launch of TGL,” McIlroy said. “Given the circumstances, while the delay is disappointing, the postponement will allow us to regroup, refocus and return stronger.”

“I’ve been a believer in TGL, and as the momentum has built this past year, I’m even more excited about what this can become for fans of the game all around the world,” Woods added. “Although the events of last week will force us to make adjustments to our timelines, I’m fully confident that this concept will be brought to life by our great committed players.”

Jon Rahm, the first player to join co-founders Woods and McIlroy, backed out of the league in earlier this month by saying, “While I still think it’s a great opportunity, right now it would require a level of commitment that I can’t offer.”

The league will feature six teams of four PGA Tour players who will compete in 15 regular season matches followed by semifinal and final matches.

ESPN released a statement from Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions: “We are partners with TGL and fully support their decision. We have believed in them and their vision from the beginning, and that has not changed. The additional time to plan, test and rehearse will only make it better. We look forward to launching the inaugural season on ESPN.”

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Video shows extensive damage to TGL’s SoFi Center — and the league is supposed to debut in 53 days

Will the league start on time?

On Wednesday, photos surfaced of the collapsed roof of the TGL’s SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. On Friday, we got an aerial look at the extensive damage.

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“An overnight failure to the temporary power system used during the construction phase caused partial deflation and limited damage to the air-supported dome section of the site,” according to a statement from TMRW Sports. “The dome section has been further deflated by our crew and will remain down while they work to remedy the situation. There were no injuries, and no technology was impacted. Other work on site will continue.”

The SoFi Center will be a 250,000-square-foot venue that will accommodate approximately 1,600 people on match nights. Players will hit off of real grass into a 64×46-foot screen. For shots within 50 yards, players will transition to a custom-built “Green Zone” that is larger than four basketball courts and includes three 15×27-foot Virtual Greens. Each green features 189 actuators and jacks that change the slope of the green to create a variety of play on every TGL hole.

Dome of the TGL’s SoFi Center in Florida has collapsed

The league’s first match is scheduled for Jan. 9.

The dome of the SoFi Center — the future home of the TGL — has collapsed.

The new stadium is being constructed on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and will host the league’s first match on Jan. 9.

The SoFi Center will be a 250,000-square-foot venue that will accommodate approximately 1,600 people on match nights. Players will hit off of real grass into a 64×46-foot screen. For shots within 50 yards, players will transition to a custom-built “Green Zone” that is larger than four basketball courts and includes three 15×27-foot Virtual Greens. Each green features 189 actuators and jacks that change the slope of the green to create a variety of play on every TGL hole.

“An overnight failure to the temporary power system used during the construction phase caused partial deflation and limited damage to the air-supported dome section of the site,” according to a statement from TMRW Sports. “The dome section has been further deflated by our crew and will remain down while they work to remedy the situation. There were no injuries, and no technology was impacted. Other work on site will continue.”

On Wednesday, Sahith Theegala was announced as the second member of the Los Angeles Golf Club, joining Collin Morikawa.

Sahith Theegala becomes second member of TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Club

TGL’s rosters are starting to take shape.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Golf Club announced Sahith Theegala as the second member of its TGL team, joining two-time major champion Collin Morikawa.

The rosters for the tech-infused league headed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and their joint venture TMRW Sports are starting to take shape.

The entire Boston Common Golf roster has been announced — McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton — as well as the Atlanta Drive GC — Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover.

As of now, the only other player associated with a team is Woods, who also co-owns the Jupiter Links GC.

Theegala earned his first PGA Tour win earlier this year at the Fortinet Championship and is one of the fan-favorites on Tour after his “Full Swing” episode on Netflix.

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NBC Sports to air docuseries on Rory McIlroy’s TGL team, Boston Common Golf

ESPN will broadcast all TGL matches beginning Jan. 9, 2024.

ESPN is the broadcaster for TGL – the new tech-infused golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy – when matches begin Jan. 9, 2024, but a docuseries on one of the six teams will be airing on an NBC affiliate.

NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports, will stream the working titled “The Making of a Boston Sports Team” early in 2024. The series will follow McIlroy and his teammates Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton in the new league’s first year and will be available via NBC Sports Next, Peacock and New England Sports Network (NESN).

NBC Sports Next and its GolfNow product have formed a multi-year partnership with Boston Common Golf that will feature exclusive sponsorship opportunities through the team as well as offer VIP opportunities and experiences for customers. McIlroy, the captain of Boston Common Golf, is also the co-founder of GolfPass, a digital golf membership program that is under the wing of NBC Sports Next.

“We are excited to partner with GolfNow and collaborate to bring engaging content to fans through our new team,” said Boston Common Golf President and CEO Mark Lev. “A captivating docuseries chronicling the team’s formation will serve as the cornerstone of this foundational partnership and that’s just the beginning.”

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