© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A new golf league was launched a couple of days ago and has taken the world by storm. Yes, it involves the legendary Tiger Woods, and it isn’t played on a golf course.
What’s it called and who are its founders?
It’s called TGL and no, the T doesn’t stand for Tiger. TGL stands for TMRW Golf League, a reference to TMRW Sports, the name of company that Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley founded to get the league and several other projects off the ground.
Where is it played?
The TGL will be played at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It contains a supersized version of a golf simulator screen on top of a massive green.
Professionals hit from pads of grass or sand to the simulator screen which will register their distance and position.
Wasn’t it supposed to start last year?
Yes, the league was supposed to be launched last year but had to be postponed as the roof of its original building collapsed in November 2023 due to a power outage and wind storm.
How does it work?
The new tech-infused golf league in partnership with the PGA Tour is designed to combine the latest in golf technology with in-person competition. It will include a shot clock, timeouts and both team and individual match play.
TGL pits two teams of three players against each other in a mix of simulator and traditional golf. Players tee off from a mat into a 64-by-53-foot screen. There will be fairway, rough and sand surfaces to hit from, as well. When the ball lands about 50 yards away from the pin, players will transition to the “Green Zone,” a 3,800-square-foot green that can be adjusted for variety on each hole.
The teams play nine holes of 3-on-3, alternate shot golf. Then, the three members of each team will each play two holes of head-to-head match play with each hole worth one point. If they remain tied, the match goes to an overtime, closest-to-the-pin competition. The overtime continues until one team has the two closest shots.
What’s the scoring format?
A point system will determine the four teams that make the playoffs at the end of the regular season:
Win: 2 points
Overtime loss: 1 point
Regulation loss: 0 point
If there is a tie for playoff seeding, the team that won the most holes over the course of the season will get the nod.
Is Tiger Woods playing?
Tiger Woods is part of Jupiter Links Golf Club, along with Max Homa, Kevin Kisner and Tom Kim. His team plays its opener next week.
