Rory McIlroy believes the new Tomorrow Golf League (TGL), which starts this week and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, is “golf reimagined for the 21st century”.
The Indoor Simulator League’s name comes from TMRW Sports, a company founded by McIlroy, Tiger Woods and former NBC head of golf Mike McCarley to focus on producing “tech ventures” in the world of sports and entertainment.
Woods and McIlroy are out of the inaugural season opener, where New York Golf Club will play 15 holes with The Bay Golf Club in front of a crowd of 1,500 on Tuesday night in Florida (02:00 on Wednesday UK time).
New York’s Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schaufele will face The Bay’s Ludvig Åberg, Shane Lowry and Wyndham Clark in alternate triples and singles, with each hole worth one point.If the teams are tied at the end of regulation, the winners will determine the nearest position contest.
Woods will play in week two for his Jupiter Links Golf Club and again in week four against McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf, with the top four of the six teams advancing to a playoff.
“The first thing I want people to know is golf, but it’s been reimagined, kind of trying to bring golf into the 21st century,” McIlroy said. “We have teams, obviously, a lot of technology are involved trying to bring it into the digital age.
“A lot of things that we’ve taken from other sports, like the shot clock, the timeout, things that you don’t see in regular golf (We’re trying to appeal to that larger athletic audience).
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Billy Horschel explains what you can expect from TGL and why he’s excited about the impact and future of golf.
A blessing in disguise delayed launch
TGL’s delayed launch was due to the venue’s roof collapsing during a storm in Palm Beach County, though Woods described it as a “blessing in disguise” as it allowed more time to produce a better product.
“Tiger and I have been a part of it since day one, and when you see the concepts and the renderings, you’re like, ‘Yeah, that looks really cool,'” McIlroy said. ESPN.
“But until you actually stand here (SoFi Center) and see what they’ve been able to do, I think the scale of it is what blows my mind.
“Every time I come in here, I’m just blown away by the size of the screen, the fact that we can put something that looks like golf on the stage. It’s really cool, and we’re obviously really excited about golf within the game.
“I think a lot of other people outside of the game will see it and hopefully be moved by it as well.”
Players will hit from real grass, turf, rough and sand tees and approach shots on a 64 ft. x 53 ft. screen. Hits from approximately 50 yards or less will place the ball on a short game area that includes a regulation green.
“The playing surfaces are very realistic,” McIlroy added. “Every time you hit it in the rough, you have to think about whether you’re going to get a pop or not. A lot of things that you you have to think on the real golf course.
Who is playing and on which team?
Atlanta Drive GC – Patrick Cantley, Lucas Glover, Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas
Boston Common Golf – Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott
Jupiter Links Golf Club – Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner, Tiger Woods
Los Angeles Golf Club – Colin Morikawa, Sahit Tegala, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose
New York Golf Club – Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schaufel, Cameron Young
Bay Golf Club – Ludwig Aberg, Wyndham Clarke, Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry
Who will win the inaugural TGL season and the SoFi Cup?Watch every match of the 2025 and 2026 seasons exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more NOW!.
