The new championship, TGL, will feature two-hour, 18-hole matches on a virtual course. The games will be played in prime time on Monday nights at a special location in a yet to be determined location. Renderings released Wednesday by TGL indicate the venues will feature a simulator where players will hit longer shots, along with an authentic chipping and putting green. The matches will likely take place between January and April and each of the six teams will compete five times during the 15-week schedule. TGL golfers will play in front of live audiences in arenas that will feature a simulator for longer shots and an authentic putting and chipping green. TGL McIlroy said Woods, 46, planned to play in the tournament. Woods has played in just three tournaments this season while recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car crash outside Los Angeles in February 2021. “Who knows where we’ll see Tiger Woods playing golf next, right?” McIlroy said. “We don’t know what his schedule is going to be. We don’t know what his body is going to be like. But for us to still be able to see him show off his skills on prime time, on television without really any wear and tear on his body, I think I can to watch Tiger hit golf shots and still give people a glimpse of his genius — I think that’s a very good use of his time.”
1 Related In a statement, Woods called the championship the “next evolution in professional golf.” “Embracing technology to create this unique environment enables us to bring our sport to primetime on a consistent basis alongside so many of the biggest sporting events,” Woods said in the statement. “As a big sports fan myself, I’m excited that it combines golf with the technology and team elements common to other sports. “We all know what it’s like to be on a football field or basketball arena where you can watch every play, every minute of action unfold right in front of you. It’s something that’s not inherently possible in traditional golf — and aspect of TGL that will stand out and appeal to a new generation of fans.” TMRW Sports CEO Mike McCarley said the company had hoped to televise the games. Fans will be able to wager on the matches where legal as PGA Tour players compete for real purses. McIlroy said McCarley, a former president of the Golf Channel, approached him about forming the league and they have been working on their plans for about two years. “I think when somebody comes to you and says, ‘I’ve got something to show you, I think it’s going to be really cool, it’s going to enhance the fan experience, it’s going to be additive and complementary to the PGA Tour season. , oh, and by the way, there’s Tiger Woods involved,’ he’s like, ‘Yeah, I think that would be really cool,’” McIlroy said. McIlroy said the new championship will allow PGA Tour players to interact more with fans and help grow the game. He also said that players will have the opportunity to have ownership stakes in the league as well. “I think it’s a great opportunity for PGA Tour players to show a different side of themselves on prime time Monday night,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s great for brand exposure to try to attract a different audience. We’ve all heard about how old the golf audience is, trying to attract younger eyes to it.”
