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.”
All six ownership groups have been announced for the new league.
The ownership group for the sixth and final team in the new tech-infused golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy features none other than the 15-time major winner.
Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blizter are the owners of Jupiter Links Golf Club, which will compete against Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Los Angeles Golf Club, TGL New York and TGL San Francisco.
“Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me,” said Woods via a press release. “I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.”
Blitzer founded Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment with Josh Harris and is co-chairman and managing partner of a portfolio that includes the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), New Jersey Devils (NHL) and Joe Gibbs Racing. Blitzer also is a co-owner of the Cleveland Guardians (MLB) and Washington Commanders (NFL), a partner of Crystal Palace Football Club (English Premier League) and owns stakes in various soccer clubs around the world.
Six teams of four PGA Tour players will compete in 15 regular season matches, starting Jan. 9, 2024, followed by semifinals and finals matches all at a high-tech short-game complex that was purpose-built on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Florida.
The two competing teams will name their three players ahead of each match, and all six will be mic’d up during the competition. While some teams have already been announced, full team rosters, names, brands and front-office staff will all be announced later this year.
A 40-second shot clock will aim to slow play in the tech-infused golf league led by Tiger and Rory.
Like a leaking faucet, the slow drip of news from Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new tech-infused golf league continued on Monday with more updates to its unique format.
Last week, TGL released its competition format, but this week the league announced that matches would feature a shot clock, timeouts and a referee. That’s right, slow play haters, a shot clock is coming to golf.
Players will have 40 seconds to hit a shot, or else a shot clock violation will incur a one-stroke penalty. Each team will have four timeouts per match, two for each session of play. Similar to the NFL, there is no rollover of unused timeouts, and teams cannot call consecutive timeouts during a single shot.
The league also stated a referee “with experience with timeouts, shot clocks, and the dynamics of team sports” will be on hand, which would hint at a basketball referee. A rules of golf official will also be in a booth to monitor the action. The referee and booth official will be responsible for managing and enforcing the shot clock.
“Instituting a shot clock and timeouts will help make matches entertaining, fast-paced, and exciting for sports fans,” said Mike McCarley, CEO and founder of TMRW Sports and TGL. “These elements also add another level of strategy for the players in how they approach team decisions similar to other sports,”
Six teams of four PGA Tour players will compete in 15 regular season matches, starting Jan. 9, 2024, followed by semifinals and finals matches all at a high-tech short-game complex that was purpose-built on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Florida.
The two competing teams will name their three players ahead of each match, and all six will be mic’d up during the competition. While some teams have already been announced, full team rosters, names, brands and front-office staff will all be announced later this year.
Bradley is an avid Boston sports fan and won a high school state championship in Massachusetts in 2004.
It’s been a good news, bad news morning for TGL, the new tech-infused golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
The bad news? Jon Rahm will no longer be playing in 2024 when the league begins in January. The good news? Team rosters are now being announced.
The Boston-based team, named Boston Common Golf, became the first squad to announce its four-player roster of McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Tyrrell Hatton and Adam Scott on Thursday morning. Justin Thomas (Atlanta) and Collin Morikawa (Los Angeles) were the first two players to sign with a team.
The signing of Bradley to the Boston team makes sense given his ties to the Northeast. The six-time PGA Tour winner and 2011 PGA champion grew up in Vermont and briefly lived in a Boston suburb in high school.
McIlroy, the world No. 2, is a four-time major champion and 27-time winner on the PGA Tour. Two of those wins came in the Boston area at the former Deutsche Bank Championship, held annually from 2003-18 at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts.
Hatton’s fiery personality would fit in well in parts of Boston, not to mention the six-time European Tour winner and 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational champion has a strong relationship with McIlroy from their time spent together on the three European Ryder Cup teams.
Scott is a 14-time winner on Tour, including the 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship, 2004 Players Championship and 2013 Masters.
The first TGL match is slated to air on ESPN on Jan. 9, 2024. More on the league format can be found here.
The league said it will replace Rahm with a new player “soon.”
The TGL has been slowly releasing team names as well as its format to build hype as its first match on Jan. 9, 2024, quickly approaches. On Thursday, the tech-infused golf league had some bad news to share.
Jon Rahm won’t be playing in the inaugural season.
The two-time major champion was one of the first players to join the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-led venture that will see six teams of four players compete on a state-of-the-art simulator in a newly built stadium in Florida. Rahm, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour and the Player of the Year in 2021, was removed from social media posts and the league’s website earlier this week. The league sent the following statement Thursday morning:
“We will miss (Rahm) during the inaugural TGL season. We understand that players have to balance a lot of different facets of their professional and personal lives and respect Jon’s choice and wish him well.”
I am sad to confirm that I will not be participating in the first TGL season. While I still think it’s a great opportunity, right now it would require a level of commitment that I can’t offer. Best of luck to everyone envolved and may the best team win!
The league said it will name a new player to replace Rahm soon.
The news sent social media into a frenzy with rumors and claims that Rahm may be the next player to join LIV Golf, especially after Phil Mickelson and LIV officials said at the recent team championship that new talent would make the jump to LIV in 2024. Rahm was at one point managed by Phil’s brother, Tim, and both Rahm and Lefty are managed by the same agency, Sportfive.
There has been no official word that Rahm will join LIV, and the move would be shocking for those who follow the game closely. The 2023 Masters champion was adamant that he wanted LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia to be involved in the recent Ryder Cup, but he has also been outspoken in his support for the Tour over the last year.
“Yeah, I mean, I think we all know where we stand. There’s still going to be players that choose to transition to LIV is my guess,” said Rahm in January of this year. “But for a lot of us, I think we see the direction the PGA Tour is going towards, right? I mean, they’re making the necessary changes to adapt to the new age and I think it’s better for everybody.”
He also said while he understands the appeal that LIV Golf may have for some, “To be honest, part of the (LIV) format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut. It’s that simple,” said Rahm. “I want to play against the best in the world in a format that’s been going on for hundreds of years. That’s what I want to see.”
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Collin to the Los Angeles Golf Club family,” Ohanian said. “Collin’s exceptional skill, commitment to the game, and resonance with fans make him the perfect fit for LAGC.”
In a video posted to LAGC’s Instagram account, Morikawa said: “I just got chills through my body, I don’t think I’ve ever answered a call like this, I got my Ryder Cup call this year, but I think this tops it almost.”
As you’d expect, golf Twitter found the comments interesting. Is it a bit? Are players taking the new tech-infused league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy too seriously?
🚨🏌🏻♂️📱Collin Morikawa’s was ecstatic as he received the call to join @WeAreLAGC from @alexisohanian: “I just got chills through my body, I don’t think I’ve ever answered a call like this, I got my Ryder Cup call this year, but I think this tops it almost.”
The southern California native signed with Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) on Wednesday, the team owned by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Serena and Venus Williams. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, as well as Alex Morgan, her husband Servando Carrasco and Michelle Wie West are all limited partners in the club.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Collin to the Los Angeles Golf Club family,” said Ohanian. “Collin’s exceptional skill, commitment to the game, and resonance with fans make him the perfect fit for LAGC.”
“I’m honored and excited to join Los Angeles Golf Club as their inaugural team player,” Morikawa added. “TGL has the opportunity to reach new fans and build enthusiasm for the game.”
Morikawa is already a two-time major champion and has six PGA Tour wins over just a five-year career. The former Cal standout also won the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai in 2021.
Here’s what you need to know about the format for TGL.
Over the last year, TGL has continuously announced player signings and team owners to build anticipation for the new tech-infused golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Golf fans knew the basics – six teams of four PGA Tour players competing in 15 regular season matches, followed by semifinals and finals matches all at a high-tech short-game complex – but we didn’t know what an actual competition would look like. On Tuesday the competition format, regular-season points system and postseason details were all released as the first match on Tuesday, Jan. 9, approaches.
Here’s what you need to know about the format for TGL.
Each match will feature two sessions with different formats. Session 1 will be 9 holes of “Triples,” three vs. three team alternate shot. Session 2 is 6 holes of “Singles,” a head-to-head competition where each competitor plays two holes.
Holes are worth 1 point and the team with the fewest shots on a hole wins the point. Ties are worth 0 points. If a match is all square at the end of the 15 holes, players will compete head-to-head until a team hits two shots closer to the pin than its competitors.
It’s a unique format to say the least, and the Triples session could provide some entertainment. That said, the Singles session may confuse viewers with a revolving door of players, and the closest-to-the-pin overtime tiebreaker has the potential to drag out (remember the first Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson match?).
Points system and postseason
The TGL regular season points system resembles the NHL: A win in regulation or overtime is worth 2 points, a loss in overtime is good for 1 point, and of course, a loss in regulation is worth 0 points.
At the end of the regular season, the top four teams on the points list advance to the playoffs. The semifinals will be single elimination and the finale, the Championship Series, will be a best-of-three competition. More details will be released on the postseason.
Venue
SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is a nearly 250,000-square-foot venue that will accommodate approximately 1,600 people on match nights during TGL’s inaugural season. The tech-infused course is roughly the size of a football field.
Players will hit tee and approach shots from real grass tee boxes, fairway surfaces, rough, and sand on long shots into a 64×46-foot screen (roughly 20 times a standard simulator) powered by Full Swing technology.
For shots within 50 yards or less, players will transition from Screenplay to Greenplay to a custom-built “Green Zone” that is larger than four basketball courts and includes three 15×27 foot Virtual Greens, also by Full Swing. Each green features 189 actuators and jacks that change the slope of the green to create a variety of play on every TGL hole.
Weekly fields and teams
The league is comprised of six teams of four players. The two competing teams will name their three players ahead of each match, and all six will be mic’d up during the competition.
Team names, brands, front office staff and players will all be announced later this year. All 24 players have already been announced, same with five of the six team ownership groups:
Atlanta Drive GC: led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA Tour Superstores)
TGL Boston: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing)
Los Angeles Golf Club: led by Alexis Ohanian (Angel City FC), Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams and Venus Williams; as well as limited partners the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco and Michelle Wie West
TGL New York: led by Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures
TGL San Francisco: a group led by Avenue Sports Fund’s Marc Lasry, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson
On Tuesday, the TGL announced Justin Thomas has signed with Atlanta Drive GC. He’s the first player to officially join a TGL team.
“Atlanta and the state of Georgia have been the home to some of the biggest sporting events in the country and I’m excited to represent fans there as part of TGL and Atlanta Drive GC,” Thomas said in a release. “To be aligned with an owner like Arthur Blank and his incredible variety of businesses as they expand their golf portfolio, feels like a great fit for me. I promise our team will compete hard to win championships and have a lot of fun along the way. We will represent Atlanta in the best way possible while helping grow the game everywhere through this unique TGL format.”
The 2022-23 PGA Tour season didn’t go as planned for Thomas, but his resume speaks for itself. He’s won 15 times on Tour, including the 2017 and 2022 PGA Championships. Thomas has represented the United States at six team events: 2017, 2019 and 2022 Presidents Cups and 2018, 2020 and 2023 Ryder Cups.
The Atlanta Drive GC’s ownership is led by Blank and AMB Sports and Entertainment, which runs the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and PGA Tour Superstores. The TGL is a tech-infused league headed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and their joint venture TMRW Sports.
The virtual golf league has built a roster with PGA Tour players the quality LIV hoped to sign.
DORAL, Fla. — The TGL is doing what LIV Golf promises to do.
The virtual golf league, backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has built a roster with PGA Tour players the quality LIV hoped to sign in the last year, and is still anticipating this offseason.
Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark highlighted the latest and final round of signings as TGL settles on 24 players. The league starts in January and will be played Monday nights on the Palm Beach State College campus in Palm Beach Gardens.
LIV and TGL have completely different formats and schedules and are not competing for players. But the possibility of anyone committing to a league run by LIV detractors Woods and McIlroy and also signing with LIV is unknown. Even if TGL is in partnership with the PGA Tour and the Tour is working on an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV, to merge business interests.
From the LIV side, Gary Davidson, who served as LIV’s acting COO before Lawrence Burian was named to the position Monday, said last week he does not believe “there would be a conflict” if a golfer who joined TGL showed interest in LIV.
“We’re open to who may want to play,” Davidson said. “We’re not limiting where our players come (from) to play. We obviously want them to commit to play in our 14-team events. Beyond that, we are very open to them playing in other tour events in other weeks, indeed on Monday night in TGL if they want to. It wouldn’t cause any issues from our side.
“Isn’t something that’s come up as being an issue as yet and I think that there would be room for that.”
LIV would celebrate adding any of the prominent names Woods and McIlroy have inked such as Cantlay, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele and Max Homa.
Even others like Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Billy Horschel would be a boost for LIV.
Rendering of the TGL’s SoFi Center, a nearly 250,000 square foot custom-built venue that will accommodate nearly 2,000 people on almost 11 acres within the Palm Beach Gardens Campus of Palm Beach State College. (Photo: TMRW Sports Group)
Everyone from Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson to LIV commissioner and CEO Greg Norman is anticipating the arrival of more significant players this offseason. LIV’s season ended Sunday with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers capturing the team championship at Doral.
“Personally myself, I’m speaking to numerous players who want to come on with LIV,” Norman said.
LIV now heads into an offseason in which it will put the finishing touches on a 14-event 2024 season and rosters will be retooled through a transfer window and promotions event.
Meanwhile, TGL is putting the finishing touches on its venue, an air-supported dome that will hold close to 2,000 people and cover an area almost the size of a football field.
The venue will include a 40-yard-wide short-game complex with three putting surfaces within the 3,800 square-foot green and three sand bunkers.
TGL will consist of six teams each with four PGA Tour players competing head-to-head in 18-hole match play. The matches will be capped at two hours. The schedule will include 15 regular-season Monday night matches followed by semifinals and finals matches.
Four of the six teams have been announced: Los Angeles Golf Club (owned by Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams and Venus Williams), Boston (owned by Fenway Sports Group), Atlanta Drive GC (owned by Arthur M. Blank) and New York (owned by Steven Cohen and Cohen Private Ventures).
“The more I talked to the other players involved in TGL, the more I wanted to be a part of the competition,” Cantlay said. “This is a great opportunity to move golf forward providing something for our core fans while also showcasing our sport in a new, tech-forward, prime time and more digestible format.”
