Tiger Woods-Rory McIlroy Golf League to Launch Soon
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s eagerly awaited virtual golf league, the TGL, is finally set to tee off in January 2025, after a setback delayed its launch by a year. The TGL promises an exciting new format, with six teams comprising four PGA Tour players each, competing in a fast-paced team golf event. Originally scheduled…
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s eagerly awaited virtual golf league, the TGL, is finally set to tee off in January 2025, after a setback delayed its launch by a year. The TGL promises an exciting new format, with six teams comprising four PGA Tour players each, competing in a fast-paced team golf event.
Originally scheduled to debut in January 2024, the league faced a delay due to a roof collapse at the Florida-based facility where it was to be hosted. However, organizers have now confirmed that the TGL will kick off on January 7th in primetime on ESPN, inside a newly constructed steel-supported structure.
Following its premiere, the league will continue with matches on January 14th and January 21st, strategically timed to benefit from promotion during ESPN’s coverage of both the National Football League and US college football playoffs.
Managed by TMRW Sports, a tech-focused sports company co-founded by Woods and McIlroy in 2022, the TGL has garnered significant attention. Both Woods and McIlroy, two of golf’s most celebrated figures, have committed to participating in the league.
In a statement, TMRW CEO Mike McCarley expressed enthusiasm for the league’s launch, noting the advantageous timing amidst the start of the PGA Tour season and ESPN’s extensive promotional coverage of football playoffs.
The venue for the TGL, situated on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, boasts a seating capacity of 1,500 around a field of play nearly the size of an American football field. Golfers will tee off from real grass tee boxes, playing custom-designed virtual holes projected onto a massive screen. As teams approach within approximately 50 yards, the action will transition to live play, with holes concluding on a short game complex that dynamically changes between holes.
One of the highlights of the venue is the GreenZone, featuring technology-driven elements to ensure each hole’s uniqueness. This includes a 41-yard-wide turntable rotating the green and bunkers to alter approach angles, alongside motorized actuators beneath the putting surface, capable of morphing its topography.
Despite encountering setbacks, such as a power outage leading to deflation and damage to the air-supported dome section just two months before the initial launch date in January 2024, the TGL persevered, now poised to bring a thrilling new dimension to the world of golf entertainment.
