Harper Lin
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is an innovative golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour for two-hour weekly competitions in primetime. The league features six teams representing six different cities, with four players assigned to each team and three competing in each match. TGL matches are played across 15 custom-designed holes that blend virtual and real-life action, with a mix of technology and traditional golf elements. The inaugural season of TGL received a positive response, with nearly one million viewers tuning in and attracting a younger audience than traditional golf.
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What You'll Learn
TGL's inaugural season
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is a tech-infused primetime golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour. The league is founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former NBC golf executive Mike McCarley.
The inaugural season of TGL tees off on January 7, 2025, with nearly one million viewers tuning in to the opening night. The league features six franchises representing six different cities: Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, The Bay Golf Club, and Jupiter Links Golf Club. Each team is composed of four PGA Tour golfers, with three competing in each match.
During the first five weeks of the inaugural season, matches were limited to one hammer, possessed by one team, which would be ceded to their opponents once used. From February 17, 2025, the hammer rule was modified to give each team three hammers to spend at their discretion, preventing a leading team from hoarding the hammer.
The inaugural season saw a blend of virtual and real golf, with golfers playing from real grass tee boxes, fairway surfaces, rough, and sand into a giant simulation screen. The tech-infused green included jacks that changed the slope to create a variety of play on each hole. The SoFi Center, where the matches took place, is nearly 250,000 square feet and can accommodate approximately 1,500 to 1,600 spectators.
The inaugural TGL season concluded in March 2025, with Atlanta Drive GC winning the championship against Jupiter Links GC.
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TGL teams and players
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is a tech-infused primetime golf league that features six teams composed of four PGA Tour golfers taking part in two-hour matches. The league is a partnership between TMRW Sports, the PGA Tour, and SoFi. TMRW Sports, founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former NBC golf executive Mike McCarley, focuses on producing technology-based ventures in sports and entertainment.
Each TGL team is made up of four PGA Tour players, with three players competing in each match. The six franchises are:
- Atlanta Drive GC: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Lucas Glover, and Billy Horschel.
- Boston Common Golf: Owned by Fenway Sports Group.
- Los Angeles Golf Club: Sahith Theegala, owned by Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams.
- New York Golf Club: Owned by Steven Cohen.
- The Bay Golf Club: Shane Lowry, Ludvig Åberg, Wyndham Clark, and Min Woo Lee, owned by Marc Lasry's Avenue Sports Fund and Stephen Curry.
- Jupiter Links Golf Club: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner, owned by TGR Ventures and David Blitzer.
Additionally, Detroit's Motor City Golf Club, owned by Middle West Partners, will join as an expansion team in 2027.
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TGL's scoring format
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is a tech-infused primetime golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour for two-hour weekly competitions. Each TGL team is made up of four PGA Tour players, with three players competing in each match.
TGL uses a points-based system for regular-season matches, similar to the National Hockey League's standings structure. For each match, teams can earn up to two points toward their regular-season total. A win in regulation or overtime equals two points, while a loss in overtime equals one point. The top four teams from the regular-season standings advance to the semifinals, with the two semifinal match winners competing in the best-of-three championship series.
Each match is divided into two sessions. The first session is triples, a nine-hole, 3-on-3, an alternate-shot format. The second session is singles, where players go one-on-one, head-to-head for six holes, with each golfer playing two holes. Each hole is worth one point. If the two teams are tied at the end of regulation, an overtime determines the winner. The overtime period is similar to a penalty shootout in soccer, with teams alternating shots until one team records the two closest shots to the pin.
The scoring format and competition rules were developed by consultants at CapTech, integrating digital measurements and real-world actions into a single stats platform.
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TGL's rules and regulations
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is a golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour for two-hour weekly competitions. The league features six teams, each composed of four PGA Tour golfers, with three players competing in each match.
Rules and Regulations
TGL uses a points-based system for regular-season matches, similar to the National Hockey League’s (NHL) standings structure. For each match, teams can earn up to two points toward their regular-season total. A win in regulation or overtime equals two points, while a loss in overtime equals one point. The top four teams with the highest points from the regular season advance to the semifinals.
Each match is divided into two sessions. The first session is triples, a nine-hole, 3-on-3, alternate-shot format. The second session is singles, where players go one-on-one, head-to-head for six holes, with each golfer playing two holes.
The hammer rule allows each team to have three hammers to use at their discretion during the match. This rule was implemented to prevent a leading team from hoarding the hammer and preventing the trailing team from catching up.
If there is a tie after 15 holes of regulation, a soccer-style shootout is used, with teams alternating shots until one team records the two closest shots to the pin.
To ensure fair play, TGL matches have an on-course referee who supervises the game, enforces the rules, and signals any rule violations. Another official monitors the action from a booth.
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TGL's venue and audience
TGL, or Tomorrow's Golf League, is a tech-infused primetime golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour. The league is a partnership between TMRW Sports, founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former NBC golf executive Mike McCarley, and the PGA Tour.
The TGL venue is the SoFi Center, a purpose-built, first-of-its-kind venue constructed specifically for TGL on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The venue measures nearly 250,000 square feet and can accommodate approximately 1,500 to 1,600 spectators. The course within the SoFi Center is infused with various technologies, including a massive 64x46-foot screen that players hit into from real grass tee boxes, fairway surfaces, rough, and sand. The tech-infused green also includes jacks that change the slope to create a variety of play on each hole.
The inaugural season of TGL attracted nearly one million viewers, with a younger audience than traditional golf, as the organizers intended. The league is broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+, with each shot live and all players mic'd up, providing unprecedented access and strategic insight for golf fans.
The six TGL franchises, each representing a different city, are:
- Atlanta Drive GC
- Boston Common Golf
- Los Angeles Golf Club
- New York Golf Club
- The Bay Golf Club
- Jupiter Links Golf Club
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Frequently asked questions
TGL stands for Tomorrow's Golf League. It is a golf league that combines advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA Tour for two-hour weekly competitions in primetime.
TGL features six teams composed of four PGA Tour golfers, with three players competing in each match. The league uses a points-based system for regular-season matches, comparable to the National Hockey League's standings structure. Each hole is worth one point, and teams can earn up to two points per match. The top four teams from the regular season advance to the semifinals, and the two semifinal match winners compete in the best-of-three championship series.
TGL matches air on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S., with all shots live and players mic'd up to provide strategic insight and entertaining banter.
