Tiger Woods’ TGL defined; the whole lot you might want to know

The launch of golf’s latest league is lastly right here.

Initially scheduled to debut in 2024, TGL postponed its beginning date to Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

Why?

Properly, the SoFi Heart, the sector slated to host the league’s competitions in Southeast Florida, collapsed on itself in November 2023. TGL then unveiled plans to assemble a steel-supported construction in March 2024, thus making certain that its newest launch will go off as scheduled.

Certainly, that would be the case. ESPN will broadcast the primary match reside instantly after Pittsburgh takes on the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

All the things you might want to learn about this new endeavor follows under:

Format:

Two TGL groups will sq. off in opposition to one another in a 15-hole match. In Week One, New York Golf Membership will face The Bay Golf Membership.

Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Xander Schauffele will symbolize New York, whereas Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, and Ludvig Åberg will play for The Bay.

Solely three of 4 gamers per staff will play in a given match. Cameron Younger is sitting out for New York, whereas Min Woo Lee is not going to play for The Bay this time.

The primary 9 holes will characteristic a 3-man alternate shot, through which all contributors rotate out and in relying on their sequence. It might show troublesome for some gamers, as a result of having three gamers concerned might make it onerous for somebody to get right into a rhythm. Alternate shot with two gamers is already difficult. There may be additionally a 40-second shot clock, thus implementing tempo of play and making issues a bit of tougher.

The format then adjustments over the ultimate six holes. Holes 10 by way of 15 are all particular person matches however with a rotating twist.

Two gamers from every staff will sq. off on the tenth gap.

After which, on the eleventh, two totally different gamers from every respective staff will battle head-to-head.

The ultimate two gamers will then face one another on the twelfth gap, and the sequence will repeat on holes 13 by way of 15.

Every gap is value one level, and whoever has the bottom rating earns stated level after placing out. Ties usually are not value something. Whoever has probably the most factors on the finish of the 15 gap match wins.

If the 2 groups are tied after 15 holes, an extra time spherical will begin. Additional time in TGL is starkly totally different from the sudden-death playoffs on the PGA Tour.

A 3-on-3 closet-to-the-pin competitors will as a substitute happen.

Whichever staff hits two pictures nearer to the opening than their rivals will win the extra time interval and, thus, the match.

TGL

The SoFi Heart:

It’s a outstanding setting with a enjoying space akin to the dimensions of a soccer area.

At one finish, a large display screen stands 64 ft extensive and 53 ft tall. Gamers will hit their drives and approaches off actual grass, actual tough, and actual sand — relying on their lie — into this big digital wall. The display screen then produces outstanding accuracy and ball shapes — a lot in order that these pictures come near resembling the true factor. Rory McIlroy even stated so himself. Keegan Bradley couldn’t imagine how correct the whole lot was throughout a latest follow session.

As soon as a participant’s method finds the placing floor, their consideration turns to the Inexperienced Zone, a virtually 23,000-square-foot quick recreation space reverse the display screen. An actual-life bunker additionally sits beside the inexperienced so gamers can hit real-life sand pictures.

“The inexperienced is not like something I’ve ever seen; it spins 360 levels and is the dimensions of a basketball court docket,” Matt Barrie, who will name the motion for ESPN, defined to SB Nation.

“The expertise beneath the holes undulates the inexperienced in real-time, and also you don’t even discover. You possibly can’t even inform. They had been rolling fairly quick the final time I used to be there, however the rolls are true.”

To make this futuristic gameplay much more reasonable, a ‘Greenskeeper’ will preserve the inexperienced all through the match and alter the pin location as wanted, like at any golf course across the nation. Their instruments are even comparable too. However on some events, the inexperienced will rotate to cater to the structure of the subsequent gap. Even the slopes and undulations will generally conform, one thing that’s troublesome to visualise however is true. Regardless, this transformative course of occurs whereas the rivals tee off on their subsequent gap on the different finish of the enjoying space.

The digital caddy is one other dynamic that can be essential to the TGL expertise. It’s basically a big contact display screen that sits adjoining to the opening, and gamers will use their fingers to assist align themselves. The caddy will present gamers with correct yardage—meters for the Europeans—for the place they need their pictures to go. Gamers can have full freedom to make use of this characteristic to hit wherever and no matter shot they please. Viewers will have the ability to see gamers strategize and decide utilizing this digital caddy as effectively.

Season Lengthy Scoring:

The season-long scoring that the TGL will make use of mirrors the factors system utilized within the Nationwide Hockey League (NHL).

Two factors are awarded to a staff ought to they win in regulation. Groups will even obtain two factors in the event that they win in extra time.

But when a staff loses in extra time, they’ll obtain one level.

A regulation loss, in the meantime, doesn’t award any factors.

Factors are gathered because the season progresses.

TGL

Schedule:

Matches will take primarily place on Monday and Tuesday evenings and air on both ESPN or ESPN2. Every match is scheduled to take two hours and can characteristic three of 4 gamers from every roster.

There are at present six TGL groups, and their schedules are outlined under by staff:

New York Golf Membership 2025 Schedule:

Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, and Cameron Younger

Tuesday, Jan. 7 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs The Bay Golf Membership

Tuesday, Jan. 21 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Atlanta Drive GC

Tuesday, Feb. 18 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Jupiter Hyperlinks GC

Monday, Feb. 24 — 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Los Angeles Golf Membership

Monday, Mar. 3 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Boston Widespread Golf

The Bay Golf Membership 2025 Schedule:

Ludvig Åberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee and Shane Lowry

Tuesday, Jan. 7 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs New York Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 17 — 4 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Atlanta Drive GC

Monday, Feb. 17 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Boston Widespread Golf

Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Jupiter Golf Hyperlinks GC

Monday, Mar. 3 — 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Los Angeles Golf Membership

Los Angeles Golf Membership 2025 Schedule:

Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose

Tuesday, Jan. 14 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Jupiter Golf Hyperlinks

Tuesday, Feb. 4 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Boston Widespread Golf

Monday, Feb. 17 — 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Atlanta Drive GC

Monday, Feb. 24 — 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs New York Golf Membership

Monday, Mar. 3 — 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs The Bay Golf Membership

Jupiter Golf Hyperlinks GC 2025 Schedule:

Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner

Tuesday, Jan. 14 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Los Angeles Golf Membership

Monday, Jan. 27 — 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Boston Widespread Golf

Tuesday, Feb. 18 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs New York Golf Membership

Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs The Bay Golf Membership

Tuesday, Mar. 4 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Atlanta Drive GC

Atlanta Drive GC 2025 Schedule:

Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover

Tuesday, Jan. 21 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs New York Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 17 — 1 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Los Angeles Drive Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 17 — 4 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs The Bay Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 24 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Boston Widespread Golf

Tuesday, Mar. 4 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Jupiter Hyperlinks GC

Boston Widespread Golf 2025 Schedule:

Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama

Monday, Jan. 27 — 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Jupiter Golf Hyperlinks

Tuesday, Feb. 4 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ — vs Los Angeles Drive Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 17 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs The Bay Golf Membership

Monday, Feb. 24 — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs Atlanta Drive GC

Tuesday, Mar. 4 — 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+ — vs New York Golf Membership

Postseason Schedule

The ultimate week of the common season, which is able to happen earlier than the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, features a tripleheader of areas with conventional sports activities rivalries. The Bay Golf Membership and the Los Angeles Golf Membership will play first on the afternoon of Monday, Mar. 3. Then, New York and Boston will sq. off that night. The ultimate match of the common season will pit Woods’ Jupiter Hyperlinks GC in opposition to Thomas’ Atlanta Drive GC.

The highest 4 groups within the SoFi Cup Standings will advance to the playoffs, starting on Monday, Mar. 17—in the future after the ultimate spherical of the 2025 Gamers Championship. The primary semifinal will air that night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The second semifinal will happen on Tuesday, Mar. 18, at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The winners from these two semifinal matches then advance to a Greatest-of-3 Championship Collection, set to start on Monday, Mar. 24 on ESPN2. A selected time for the primary finals match has but to be introduced, which is sensible given the community’s dedication to postseason faculty basketball at the moment. ESPN owns the rights to the Girls’s NCAA Match and the Males’s NIT. Each of these tournaments often have traditionally held video games on that Monday night.

ESPN will then air the second and third (if obligatory) Championship matches on Tuesday, Mar. 25, starting at 7 p.m.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.