Everything we know about Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' star-studded golf league
In a chaotic week in the world of golf, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are pressing on with their new tech-infused league TGL.
Los Angeles Golf Club was announced as the first of six teams to take part in the indoor series which tees off in 2024, with data, simulators and a bespoke arena combining for a TV presentation the owners hope will take on the mantle from the end of the NFL season as the primetime Monday night sports event.
McIlroy and Woods, with 19 major championships between them, are among a group of 12 players who have already agreed to take part.
After Tuesday's bombshell merger involving the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, TGL is another sign of the changing face of golf. Here is everything we know about TGL so far...
What is TGL?
TGL is a made-for-TV weekly league founded by TMRW Sports, a company co-owned by Woods, McIltory and media executive Mike McCarley.
Bubba Watson shares details of horror knee injury ahead of LIV Golf debut
The league will be made up of six three-man teams including some of the best golfers in the world. It will be held on Monday nights during primetime at a purpose-built arena in Palm Beach, Florida.
Players will hit long shots into a simulator before moving for shorter shots to a dynamic chipping and putting green that changes depending on the features of the hole, all in front of a live studio audience.
The six teams will play in 15 regular season matches, followed by playoffs and a championship match.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm are among the players who have signed up to play in TGL. (Luke Walker/Getty Images)Which players have signed up?
Woods and McIlroy are the headline names and co-founders of the league, and they have been joined by 10 other PGA Tour stars already, with six more yet to be announced.
European stars Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose are all involved, alongside fellow major champions Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
Popular Americans Ricke Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Max Homa complete the list so far, with the final six players yet to be revealed.
It remains to be seen whether Tuesday's shock merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund will allow stars from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, to be involved.
Tennis icons Venus Williams and Serena Williams are both part-owners of the first TGL team, Los Angeles Golf Club. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for History)Which celebrities have invested?
Several celebrities were announced as investors in TMRW Sports when TGL was unveiled for the first time in August 2020, with stars from the worlds of sport and music as well as business chiefs getting involved.
Backers include basketball stars past and present Steph Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant, tennis icons Serena Williams and Venus Williams, F1 legend Lewis Hamilton and baseball standouts Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
Soccer star Alex Morgan, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, pop star Justin Timberlake, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and Greg Maffei, president of Liberty Media, which owns F1 and SiriusXM.
Gareth Bale to face Yahoo billionaire as he tees up on PGA Tour for first time
The Williams sisters have become the first team owners, alongside Serena's husband Alexis Ohanian, a tech entrepreneur who co-founded Reddit. The trio were announced as owners of Los Angeles Golf Club on Thursday, with the five other teams and their owners yet to be announced.
When does TGL start and how can I watch it?
The first TGL event is set to be played in January 2024 after the conclusion of the NFL regular season.
A TV partner is yet to be announced, although it has been reported NBC Sports has been given the option to buy up the rights in the United States. NBC is owned by Comcast, which also owns Sky Sports in the UK, so a deal for the American rights could see TGL screened on Sky Sports.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
