FOS Explains: How Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy Are Reinventing Golf

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL is a technology-centric, indoor golf league that features golfers hitting tee and approaching shots into a giant simulator screen, chipping and putting at a “greenzone” area with artificial turf, real sand, and a green that can rotate and transform in between holes.

What once was an outdoor game of patience is being reimagined by the sport’s biggest stars.

But why?

Described as “the next evolution within professional golf”, Woods and McIlroy announced TGL in August 2022.

The league has 6 teams of PGA Tour golfers playing in head-to-head, 3-on-3 matches. TGL’s new look came with its own set of rules and terms for players and fans to familiarize themselves with. And on January 7th, nearly one million people tuned in on ESPN as a 1,500-seat stadium hosted its inaugural match.

If you look at the numbers, TGL’s broadcast debut–which raked in 919,000 viewers–was fairly good:

Golf can trace its roots back to Scotland in the 15th Century. Rules weren’t officially written down, but it has always involved the outdoors and plenty of open space. That’s also what made it a perfect way to stay active during the COVID pandemic nearly six centuries later.

The sport boomed in 2020 because there weren’t many other ways to spend your free time–and over the next few years, it gained more popularity than ever.

In 2022, Woods and McIlroy teamed up with former Golf Channel executive Mike McCarley to launch TMRW Sports–a venture company that received investments from athletes like Steph Curry, Lewis Hamilton, and Serena Williams.

LIV Golf was announced a year earlier and teed off in the summer of 2022. At the time, McIlroy was one of the leading voices calling for PGA golfers not to leave for LIV. So, Woods, McIlroy, and TMRW Sports decided to create something that would be seen as additive to the tour–partnering with the PGA and recruiting its golfers.

With that, it appears TGL has taken a few pages out of LIV Golf’s playbook:

• Teams
• Names and captains
• Music throughout the contests

The league’s launch was originally slated for January 2024. The SoFi Center–a custom 250,000-square foot, 1,500-seat stadium, rumored to cost $50 million–was built to host matches. But a storm caused the air-supported roof to collapse around 90 days before its launch, delaying its debut a full year.?

TGL signed a multi-year TV deal with ESPN–and may even have their eyes set on expansion one day.

The league has had discussions with the LPGA Tour about eventually incorporating a mixed men’s and women’s event–or even creating a standalone women’s league.

TGL may even inspire a new wave of TGL x TopGolf-inspired venues for non-professionals. Los Angeles Golf Club co-owner Alexis Ohanian said on X:?

If the league continues to grow in popularity, it’s not hard to imagine someone wanting to mimic that sort of venue as a way to make money and create a new TopGolf-esque experience.

For more on TGL and the future of golf, check out this week’s FOS Explains.

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