Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL golf league set for January start

After a one-year delay, the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy backed TGL is set to make its debut January 7.

TGL, a primetime golf league featuring six squads of four players competing in a fast-paced form of team golf, was founded in 2022 by Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA Tour.

The virtual tech-infused golf league was originally scheduled to launch in January of 2024 but a storm in November last year caused extensive damage to the air-supported dome roof at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where matches were set to take place.

It has since been rebuilt as a steel structure capable of withstanding hurricane-strength winds.

The indoor TGL facility now covers about 150,000 square feet, with players hitting their tee shots off grass into a 46-by-64-foot screen, with greens and bunkers also built on the premises. Up to 1,500 fans will be on site for the matches that will air on ESPN.

Six teams are set to compete in the TGL: Los Angeles Golf Club, Atlanta Drive Golf Club, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club.

The league’s parent company TMRW Sports was valued at US$500 million in June.

Woods is set to compete for Jupiter Links, while McIlroy will play for Boston Common.

Woods, 48, who had back surgery in September and has played a limited schedule in recent years due to injuries, is a part owner of Jupiter Links Golf Club, a team that features himself, Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner.

New York GC and The Bay GC will compete against each other in the January 7 TGL debut. New York is led by Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler and will include Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young, while The Bay GC consists of Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee and Shane Lowry.

Before every TGL match, teams will name three players each to compete in 15-hole contests that will feature two sessions: nine holes of three-man alternate shots followed by six holes of singles head-to-head play.

Jupiter Links will play on January 14 against Los Angeles GC. Woods’s teammates include Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner. LAGC consists of Colin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.

Atlanta Drive GC will make its debut on January 21 against NYGC. The Atlanta franchise consists of Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover.

Boston Common will play its first match on January 27 against Jupiter Links and will include Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley and Australia’s Adam Scott, along with McIlroy.