PGA Tour star says golf fans can expect 'banter' and 'lightheartedness' ahead of TGL

Max Homa admits PGA Tour fans can expect plenty of 'banter' and a chance to 'see a lighter side of everybody' when Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL gets underway in January 2025.

TGL is the brainchild of Woods, McIlroy and their TMRW Sports co-founder and CEO Mike McCarley.

It's a tech-infused golf league that will take place at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The new indoor golf league is in partnership with the PGA Tour and it will be aired LIVE on ESPN on prime time Mondays and Tuesdays through to the end the Playoffs in March. 

Related:

• Golf fans stunned at ticket prices to attend TGL hosted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
• Why TGL has made a big mistake not sending Woods or McIlroy out in gameweek one

Six teams of four players will make up the field, and all players are from the PGA Tour.

No LIV Golf players are allowed to take part. 

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were initially down on the starting sheet but they were instantly booted out of the league when they defected to LIV Golf. 

TGL was due to start in January 2024 but the stadium roof caved in and it forced the league into a 12-month suspension. 

The regular season fixture list was released earlier this week, and it followed an announcement that general admission ticket prices to attend TGL will be set at $160. 

Check out all the TGL teams here. 

The first gameweek will start on 7 January 2025, but it won't feature the teams of Woods or McIlroy.

That's a big early mistake for TGL in the eyes of GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts.

Woods' Jupiter Links GC, which also comprises Homa, will get underway in the second gameweek.

Fans will have to wait until the fourth gameweek to see McIlroy's Boston Common GC in action.

That one should be more than worth than wait though given McIlroy will clash with Woods. 

But back to the top of the story, and Homa's expectations for TGL's debut season.

Homa was asked by a reporter to give his thoughts on what golf fans can expect when TGL finally gets underway in January 2025.

He said a lot of 'banter' and 'lightheartedness' among all 24 players taking part. 

Scroll down for his comments...

"Yeah, it's very different, that's what I think excites me," said Homa, speaking ahead of his return to PGA Tour action at the ZOZO Championship in Japan this week. 

"It's not -- obviously it's not like professional golf, but it's like a fun style of golf with very good professionals. 

"I expect there to be more banter obviously than a normal week. Yeah, I just think for the fans will see a lighter side of everybody. 

"I think you'll still get to see a showcase of skills, which will be quite cool. I think marrying those two together, I know people have discussed walk-and-talks out here, but that will be one constant one. 

"Hopefully be able to learn some things about what we see and what we're trying to do with certain golf shots because it's a much more intimate setting, much looser setting. 

"I think that's what it will be. It will be a way to maybe learn a bit about golf but also learn about the players and still see a very unique but still a form of competition."

Homa has endured a tough season on the PGA Tour with just three top-10 finishes on the circuit.

As a result that has seen him slip from seventh in the world starting 2024 down to a current 27th.

Homa confirmed ahead of the Presidents Cup last month that he had split with his long-time swing coach Mark Blackburn.

The six-time PGA Tour winner admits his game is feeling 'a little rusty' right now, especially having taken a bit of time away from the sport after Team USA defeated the Internationals for a 10th consecutive time at the Presidents Cup. 

But he is happy with the decision to go alone and excited to try and figure things out himself as he bids to get back in the winners circle for the first time since January 2023. 

"Yeah, it's been about two months now [since not working with Blackburn]. I'm definitely a little rusty," said Homa.

"I took a bit of time off after the Presidents Cup. But it's been nice trying to kind of -- I've had some help along the way, but it's been nice trying to figure out and own my own stuff a bit more. 

"But yeah, the swing feels okay. Again, you could get a little rusty when you're working on new stuff, it's not really the most fun thing in the world. 

"At times golf can feel like riding a bike, especially when you get on a golf course, you're not on the range, you can start seeing shots and feel what's going to work well.

"This is a good golf course to do that on because the holes are shaped really nicely by the trees. 

"Yeah, it's been -- it's definitely been a chaotic few weeks, especially the last week getting ready for this, but we got here Sunday and I was happy to have Monday through Wednesday to get some work in and spent a bunch of time on the course."

Xander Schauffele starts the ZOZO Championship a warm tournament favourite following a two-major win season. 

Collin Morikawa is the defending champion. 

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