31 October 2023 , 18:21
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Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's innovative golf league TGL has announced its rules and format, as the circuit prepares for its groundbreaking launch in January.
Woods and McIlroy announced the plans for the league last summer, after forming TMRW Sports alongside American media executive Mike McCarley. The founding of TGL came in the midst of the threat of LIV Golf towards the PGA Tour, following the breakaway league's formation last summer.
A whole host of the PGA Tour's biggest names have signed on the dotted line with TGL, and are set to compete across six teams with both Woods and McIlroy included on the playing roster.
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As well as the two founders, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Cam Young, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim and Billy Horschel have all committed to compete.
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The 24 players will be split across the six teams, which will represent different areas in the United States. With two months to go before the beginning of play, five of the six teams have been confirmed so far with Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Los Angeles Golf Club, TGL New York and TGL San Francisco all taking part.
TGL will be competed in a tech-infused stadium (@TGL/Twitter)On Tuesday league officials confirmed its maiden campaign details, that will consist of a 15-week regular season, followed by semi-finals and the final. The format in question has been labelled 'Modern Match Play' which will see three players from each team compete against each other.
In each match, the winner of each hole will earn one point, and the team with the most points prevails. A match will include two sessions, with session one including a 'triples' nine-hole three vs three foursomes match, and session two compiling of a 'singles' one-on-one clash over six holes, with each player playing two holes.
If matches are then tied in regulation play, overtime is played with a penalty shootout-style challenge competed with a team required to hit two shots closer to the hole than their rivals to secure a win. Teams are issued two points for a win and no points for a loss in regular play. An overtime loss earns a team one point.
Players will compete on a simulator before moving to the 'green zone' (@TGL/Twitter)Following the end of the 15-week campaign, the league's top four teams will compete in the playoffs to win the 2023 title. The matches will be played in a state-of-the-art stadium named the SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College, with shots being hit into a simulator screen.
Players will play from grass tee boxes, as well as fairways, rough and sand bunkers. Shots within 50 yards will then see the players come away from the screen and compete on an in-house green setup labelled the 'green zone'. It includes a '3,800 square-foot tech-infused green' as well as 'three 15 x 27 foot Virtual Greens'. The inaugural season of TGL will kick off on January 9 2024.