TGL, a new high-tech golf league aimed at growing the game of golf, will launch in January; however, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s innovative league has got off to a bad start as the venue was damaged on Wednesday; SoFi Center, at Palm Beach State College in Florida, will host each event
Last Updated: 16/11/23 6:36am
The launch of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s simulator golf league could be delayed after a power outage caused deflation and damage to the air-supported dome section of the Florida-based venue.
There were no injuries and no technology was impacted inside the Palm Beach Gardens arena, where 24 PGA Tour players are scheduled to face off in match play using a simulator screen and an adjustable putting surface starting on January 9 in primetime.
The six four-man teams have been announced, with the Woods-backed Jupiter Links Golf Club based in Florida the final side to be confirmed on Tuesday, joining the other five based in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta.
Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpartrick, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele are among the players competing in the tournament which will finish before The Masters in April.
“At this time, while we assess the damage, it is too early to determine the impact on our timelines,” TGL, the new high-tech golf league, said.
The SoFi Center constructed on the campus of Palm Beach State College is a nearly 250,000-square-foot venue with a 75-foot-high apex that will accommodate approximately 1,600 people on match nights during TGL’s inaugural season.
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Rory McIlroy has hinted that a resolution to talks over the future of men’s professional golf could be close but has warned those involved that ‘loose lips sink ships’.
The course inside the venue will be infused with various technologies and cover an area approximately the size of an American football field.
The TGL, which was announced in August 2022, is a made-for-TV golf league from Woods and McIlroy’s TMRW Sports venture and both golfers have committed to competing in the league.
The six squads will play each other once in league play but only three of the four players will compete in any one event.
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Jon Rahm says he has no plans to replace Rory McIlroy on the PGA Tour board, insisting he’s ‘not built for it’.
Famous backers of the other five teams include NBA star Steph Curry, who is involved with the San Francisco outfit, and tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, who are supporting the Los Angeles group.
Liverpool Football Club owners Fenway Sports Group are involved with the Boston side, with that conglomerate also owning baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
Who are the players involved?
- Tiger Woods (Jupiter Links CC)
- Rory McIlroy (Boston Common Golf)
- Justin Thomas (Atlanta Drive GC)
- Patrick Cantlay (Atlanta Drive GC)
- Rickie Fowler
- Collin Morikawa (Los Angeles GC)
- Max Homa
- Xander Schauffele
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tyrrell Hatton (Boston Common Golf)
- Justin Rose
- Shane Lowry
- Wyndham Clark
- Kevin Kisner
- Adam Scott (Boston Common Golf)
- Min Woo Lee
- Lucas Glover (Atlanta Drive GC)
- Tom Kim
- Sahith Theegala
- Billy Horschel (Atlanta Drive GC)
- Cameron Young
- Keegan Bradley (Boston Common Golf)
All players will be mic’d up during the events to bring fans closer to the action.
McIlroy and Woods established the technology-focused sports company TMRW Sports last year
How does it work?
The opening nine holes will be called “triples” – alternate shot for the three players, with one point awarded for winning a hole. The final six holes will be singles, with each team member playing two holes.
Any match ending in a tie goes to overtime, with each player going head to head in a closest-to-the-pin competition.
A team win is worth two points with the losing side earning no points if the game is settled in regulation play but picking up one if the contest stretches to overtime.
The competition starts with a tee shot from one of two areas – 35 yards away or 20 yards away from a screen that is 64 feet by 46 feet, roughly 20 times the size of a standard simulator.
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Paul McGinley and Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir explain the reasons behind Rory McIlroyy’s decision resign from the PGA Tour board.
The ball needs to be in the air for a half-second before hitting the screen for all the data to register and simulate the shot.
From there, the next shot to the big screen will be played from either real fairway grass, rough or sand, depending on the accuracy of the tee shot.
Once players get within 50 yards, they play actual shots to a green complex that is larger than four basketball courts.
The 3,800-square-foot green includes three virtual greens, 15 feet by 27 feet, in which the slope of the green can change to create variety.
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