Golf gets a little bit cooler as innovative new TGL league tees off
Golf gets a little bit cooler as innovative new TGL league tees off
Blog Article
The world of professional golf got an entirely new look last week when the inaugural TGL season kicked off at SoFi Center in Palm Beach, Florida, with the Bay Golf Club beating the New York Golf Club 9-2.
On the surface, TGL golf looks a lot like golf as we know it, and simultaneously nothing at all like it. The equipment is the same, the clothes are the same and even the people are the same — some of the PGA Tour's best and brightest — but instead of a windy links in Scotland or a sunny course in California, they're banging balls at a massive screen in a stadium in Florida.
In some ways, TGL is the bright lights and loud music version of golf. It's the sports 3x3 basketball, street football or beach volleyball. The same basic mechanics, but on a very different, and arguably cooler, scale (DJ Khaled was at the opening match).
TGL, the official name but also a shortened version of TMRW Golf League, is the brain child of TMRW Sports, a venture driven by executive Mike McCarley and pro golfers Tigers Woods and Rory McIlory in partnership with the PGA Tour.
The league features an entirely new team-based format, in which a total of six teams — Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and Bay Golf Club — consisting of four golfers compete for two hours a week at the Palm Beach Stadium, a home to a hybrid course that combines an advanced screen golf long game with a real-life short game.
The league’s format requires cooperation between teammates that is largely missing from most professional golf tours, as well as a whole lot of high-tech equipment.
So how exactly do golfers compete in this unique new version of golf?
Format & scoring system
TGL teams play 15 holes in each match consisting of two sessions: Nine holes of triples where golfers compete with a 3x3 alternate shot format and six holes of singles where two golfers play head to head.
In triples, golfers work together to take alternating shots throughout each hole. This differs from singles, which is a classic head-to-head format with golfers alternating who plays the hole. So in triples, golfer A will tee off, with golfer B taking the next shot, followed by golfer C and so on. In singles, golfer A will play the entire hole, and then hand over to golfer B for the next hole.
There's also a shot clock: Golfers must hit a shot in 40 seconds or face a one-stroke penalty.
The team with fewer shots on a hole wins a point, while the team with the most points at the end wins the entire match. Ties on a hole are worth zero points.
Then it's just regular league stuff. A team claims two points for a winning a match, regardless whether they win in regular or overtime. The team that loses can also take one point if they lose in overtime, but secures zero points for losing in regular time.
The top four teams from the regular season will reach the playoffs.
Meet the hammer
Each hole is worth a point, but TGL has added a joker of sorts.
If a team throws the so-called “hammer” on a hole and the opposing team accepts it, the value of the hole increases to two points.
A team is allowed to throw the hammer on any hole. If they throw it before the start of a hole, the opponents must accept it. But if the team throws the hammer after they hit a shot, the opposing team can reject the hammer at the cost of forfeiting the hole. There is only one hammer, and it changes hands each time it's used — so playing the hammer also means giving it up to the opposing team.
Each team will also have four timeouts — two in triples and two in singles — per match that they can use to discuss strategies. The timeout they do not use in triples will not carry over to the singles session.
Fans at the SoFi center are able to hear the strategies golfers discuss during matches, as all players are equipped with microphones. In fact the level of access is so high that TGL has done away with traditional color commentators — why bother paying somebody else to speculate on Tiger Woods' strategy when you can just ask the man himself in realtime.
SoFi Center
The purpose-built SoFi Center stadium is a uniquely high-tech golf venue, combining, the organizers say, just enough tech and tradition to create the perfect stadium playing experience.
The long game is essentially extremely advanced screen golf — although the tee box is set a lot further back so you do see a lot more of the path of the ball — but golfers tee off on real grass. The playing field itself is about the size of an American football field, and the screen is 24-times larger than your high street screen golf.
A large part of the stadium is taken up with the short game, which is played in person. The playing surface here is made of artificial grass that can be adjusted and rearranged for each match.
The venue is equipped with Samsung’s commercial-grade LED displays used for its marquee outdoor video wall, field of play video boards, field of play ribbon boards and even team benches, as the Korean company is the official screen partner of the TGL.
PGA stars in the TGL
A total of 24 PGA stars, divided into six teams, are competing in the TGL this season on the back of their immense successes from the PGA Tour where they have collectively amassed over 200 titles, including 33 major wins.
PGA living legend Woods is one of those as a member of Jupiter Links Golf Club, alongside Korean star Tom Kim, the only Korean in the league.
Over in Boston Common Golf, McIlory leads the team with ample experience from the PGA where he has clinched 26 titles and four majors, making him one of only three players to win four majors by 25, alongside Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Report this page
Each hole is worth a point, but TGL has added a joker of sorts.
If a team throws the so-called “hammer” on a hole and the opposing team accepts it, the value of the hole increases to two points.
A team is allowed to throw the hammer on any hole. If they throw it before the start of a hole, the opponents must accept it. But if the team throws the hammer after they hit a shot, the opposing team can reject the hammer at the cost of forfeiting the hole. There is only one hammer, and it changes hands each time it's used — so playing the hammer also means giving it up to the opposing team.
Each team will also have four timeouts — two in triples and two in singles — per match that they can use to discuss strategies. The timeout they do not use in triples will not carry over to the singles session.
Fans at the SoFi center are able to hear the strategies golfers discuss during matches, as all players are equipped with microphones. In fact the level of access is so high that TGL has done away with traditional color commentators — why bother paying somebody else to speculate on Tiger Woods' strategy when you can just ask the man himself in realtime.
SoFi Center
The purpose-built SoFi Center stadium is a uniquely high-tech golf venue, combining, the organizers say, just enough tech and tradition to create the perfect stadium playing experience.
The long game is essentially extremely advanced screen golf — although the tee box is set a lot further back so you do see a lot more of the path of the ball — but golfers tee off on real grass. The playing field itself is about the size of an American football field, and the screen is 24-times larger than your high street screen golf.
A large part of the stadium is taken up with the short game, which is played in person. The playing surface here is made of artificial grass that can be adjusted and rearranged for each match.
The venue is equipped with Samsung’s commercial-grade LED displays used for its marquee outdoor video wall, field of play video boards, field of play ribbon boards and even team benches, as the Korean company is the official screen partner of the TGL.
PGA stars in the TGL
A total of 24 PGA stars, divided into six teams, are competing in the TGL this season on the back of their immense successes from the PGA Tour where they have collectively amassed over 200 titles, including 33 major wins.
PGA living legend Woods is one of those as a member of Jupiter Links Golf Club, alongside Korean star Tom Kim, the only Korean in the league.
Over in Boston Common Golf, McIlory leads the team with ample experience from the PGA where he has clinched 26 titles and four majors, making him one of only three players to win four majors by 25, alongside Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Atlanta Drive GC features Justin Thomas, who became one of six golfers with 15 PGA titles and two majors before turning 30.
Los Angeles Golf Club, meanwhile, includes Collin Morikawa, who is the only player in history to win a PGA major in his first attempt twice — with wins from the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. 스포츠토토
Jupiter Links Golf Club’s Kim will be making his TGL debut alongside Woods, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner on Tuesday, Jan. 14 against Morikawa, Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood of Los Angeles Golf Club.
The regular season schedule will last through March 4, with the semifinals teeing off nearly two weeks later. Those competing on the PGA Tour will have a busy schedule, with the Tour and TGL running at the same time through March.
TGL matches are broadcast on ESPN, but Korean fans can also catch all the action on JTBC Golf.
Los Angeles Golf Club, meanwhile, includes Collin Morikawa, who is the only player in history to win a PGA major in his first attempt twice — with wins from the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. 스포츠토토
Jupiter Links Golf Club’s Kim will be making his TGL debut alongside Woods, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner on Tuesday, Jan. 14 against Morikawa, Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood of Los Angeles Golf Club.
The regular season schedule will last through March 4, with the semifinals teeing off nearly two weeks later. Those competing on the PGA Tour will have a busy schedule, with the Tour and TGL running at the same time through March.
TGL matches are broadcast on ESPN, but Korean fans can also catch all the action on JTBC Golf.