TGL: Does it live up to the hype?
A quick look at the teams shows that each team has two major winners, except Tiger’s team which only has him as a major winner
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A quick look at the teams shows that each team has two major winners, except Tiger’s team which only has him as a major winner
The TGL first came into golfers’ radars around 2022. It was a time when tensions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf were at their peak.
TGL was to provide a new golf product to viewers, presumably to answer LIV’s take on a more modern professional golf tour.
TGL, which stands for Tomorrow’s Golf League, positions itself as the future of golf. By integrating cutting-edge simulator technology, a state-of-the-art venue, and a team-based competitive format, it seamlessly blends golf, innovation, and team sports into a truly unique experience.
Leading the way for TGL are Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, arguably the two most influential golfers for the PGA Tour.
TGL consists of six teams: Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. Each team consists of four players, three competing in each match and one sitting out.
The format is 15 holes, 9 of which will be played with alternate shots, and 6 holes to be played in singles.
The main draw of TGL is that it will be played indoors, in a stadium atmosphere where a live audience can cheer their hearts out, just like any professional team sport.
There is currently just one venue, the SoFi Center in Florida, but more venues are planned, presumably a home venue for each golf club.
There didn’t appear to be an organized, or at least publicly announced, method for selecting players.
Friendships, social media influence/ potential, budget considerations and loyalty to the PGA Tour played a huge role in inviting potential players. Here is the current composition of the teams:
Atlanta Drive GC: Patrick Cantlay, Lucas Glover, Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas.
Boston Common Golf: Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, and Adam Scott
Jupiter Links GC: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner
Los Angeles Golf Club: Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood
New York Golf Club: Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler and Cameron Young
The Bay Golf Club: Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg, Min Woo Lee
A quick look at the teams shows that each team has two major winners, except Tiger’s team which only has him as a major winner. Each team also has a player who’s a little older and a player who shows potential but hasn’t quite broken through in a big way yet.
As with anything new, people were curious about the matches, The inaugural broadcast of TGL happened last January 7, pitting The Bay Golf Club against New York Golf Club. The Bay GC fielded Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, and Wyndham Clark against NYGC’s Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Rickie Fowler. On paper, New York seemed to have a slight advantage, with Xander winning two majors in 2024. But the match was lopsided, with The Bay GC winning by a huge 9-2 margin.
The second TGL broadcast featured Tiger’s Jupiter Links against Los Angeles GC. Tiger played with Max Homa and Kevin Kisner, while LAGC fielded Collin Morikawa, Theegala and Justin Rose. Although much-anticipated, the second TGL match was an even bigger blowout, with Tiger and his boys getting a 12-1 beatdown.
For an event with a completely different take on a well-loved, established sport like golf, I think TGL did well enough to keep golfers interested. Will it be as popular and mainstream as football or basketball? Of course not.
But combining team play and golf has always been popular, even for traditionalists.
Think Ryder Cup and President’s Cup for the pros, Eisenhower Trophy for amateurs, NCAA golf, Solheim Cup for the ladies, etc.
There is potential, that the shorter viewing time might draw more people in. But in my view, TGL is tailored too much for the US market. A few adjustments, including women on the teams or featuring top amateurs, could likely boost viewership. I would still watch the rest of the matches out of curiosity. Maybe some heated banter or animosity would make it more interesting.
Between TGL and LIV Golf, it’s a little difficult for me to choose, which means TGL is onto something. Could the absence of the World No. 1 negatively affect the league? Maybe. Could getting popular players like Spieth, Scheffler, Finau, and Zalatoris into a new team, say a Texas Golf Club, solidify TGL? Probably.
It’s still a wait-and-see situation, but TGL is a promising addition to golf.
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