LIV Golf turned the world golf scene upside down. Not only because of the creation of this Saudi circuit itself, but because it forced the PGA Tour to react to who had dominated the sport in recent decades. This Wednesday the two great North American responses against LIV have been made official.
In just a few hours, the PGA first announced big changes to the competition, focused on bringing together the tour’s stars in the same tournaments. Shortly after, the creation of TGL, a league promoted by TMRW Sports, a company promoted by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, was confirmed.
TGL, situation
TGL will not compete against the PGA Tour, rather they will go hand in hand. This league, created in collaboration with the American circuit, will bring together the main PGA stars and will be played on Monday nights, during prime-time hours and without coinciding with the tournaments that run from Thursday to Sunday.
In the official announcement of TGL, special emphasis has been placed on technology, which will dominate this new league. There will be 15 regular season events throughout the year and the format will be by teams, with six teams of three players each facing each other (there will therefore be three games).
The promise of TGL is that the 18 holes will be completed in just two hours, thus avoiding long days of golf, and this will be possible thanks to the main novelty of the league: it will not be played on a golf course, but in a stadium.
Seeking to bring golf closer to fans, TGL events will be held in sports venues where fans will be able to experience each shot on a virtual course. The exits and the fairway impacts will be made on a screen that will act as a simulator, as is already done in golf schools and practice fields.
The shots that will be made live will be those on the green, since there will be one in the stadium. The objective of this is to generate an atmosphere never seen before in this sport, with the great stars of it and in American prime-time, competing with giants such as the NFL.
All this promoted by Tiger Woods, who has already shown himself capable of attracting the masses in his country and throughout the world. January of the year 2024 has been marked as the starting point for TGL. “TGL is the next evolution in professional golf, and I am committed to helping guide it into the future.
Embracing technology to create this unique environment gives us the ability to consistently move our sport into primetime. We all know what it’s like to be in a football or basketball stadium where you can see every play, every minute of action unfolding in front of you.
It is something that is not possible in traditional golf, and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans,” explained Tiger Woods. “TGL, while rooted in the traditions of the game, is taking a step towards an increasingly technology-driven future of esports.
TGL will be comparable to sitting courtside in an NBA game,” completed the other great promoter of the league, Rory McIlroy.