Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley made a splash on August 24 with the announcement of TGL, a tech-infused golf league in partnership with the PGA TOUR.
The new league will feature 15 Monday night matches in a stadium-like venue that will be infused with technology. The two-hour matches are designed to be shown on primetime television, with the season kicking off in January 2024 with Woods and McIlroy as the first two golfers committed to compete. Each team will consist of three players.
The concept is the brainchild of McCarley, who was President of the Golf Channel and later the NBC Sports Group until he stepped down in March 2021.
McCarley formed a new company, NexGen Sports Group, after leaving NBC, but the company will be known as TMRW Sports Group moving forward.
While TGL appears to be a response to LIV Golf, McCarley came up with the TGL concept and pitched it to McIlroy prior to leaving NBC. Woods, the strongest brand name in golf, was added later as the third co-founder.
“TGL is the next evolution within professional golf, and I am committed to helping lead it into the future,” Woods said in the press release announcing TGL. “Embracing technology to create this unique environment gives us the ability to move our sport into primetime on a consistent basis alongside so many of sports’ biggest events.
The hope is to capture a new generation of fans: people who have embraced Topgolf.
“I have the utmost respect for the game of golf, and the TGL, while rooted in the traditions of the game, is taking a bold step into the increasingly tech-fueled future of sports,” McIlroy said. “TGL will widen the appeal of golf to younger and more diverse fans and serve as another avenue to introduce people to the game I love.”
The PGA TOUR supports the venture. It has been reported that it will soon make its own changes to better compete with LIV Golf.
“The TOUR has been committed to aligning our athletes with innovative technology and this initiative combines that vision with a unique golf atmosphere,” said commissioner Jay Monahan. “A primetime experience featuring PGA TOUR players will help attract a broader audience to our sport and the world’s greatest players.”
TMRW Sports Group is based in Winter Park, Fla. with staff working from their homes.