Rory McIlroy issues plea to golf fans before crucial TGL launch
Rory McIlroy has implored golf fans to take a chance on TGL before the first broadcast on 7 January.
Rory McIlroy says he believes a lot of people outside of the game of golf will get excited about his new joint-venture with Tiger Woods.
Tomorrow Golf League begins on 7 January at 9pm (02:00 GMT) after a 12-month delay.
Twenty four PGA Tour players have been broken up into teams of four and will represent six cities in the inaugural campaign.
McIlroy is representing the Boston Common Golf outfit alongside Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama and U.S Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley.
The Northern Irishman won't be in action until 15 January, though, when his side faces off against Woods' Jupiter Links quartet.
The first match sees New York (Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele) playing against The Bay (Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Min Woo Lee).
"The first thing I would like to have people know is it's golf, but it's reimagined, [we are] sort of trying to take golf into the 21st century," McIlroy told ESPN.
"We have teams, obviously there's a lot of technology involved, trying to bring it into the digital era.
"[We have taken] a lot of things that we've taken from other sports like a shot clock, a timeout, things that you don't see in regular golf.
"[We're] trying to appeal to that bigger sports audience out there."
The matches are being played at the purpose-built SoFi Center in Palm Beach, Florida.
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It measures at 250,000 square feet and has a capacity for 1,600 spectators.
He added: "Tiger and I have been a part of this from day one and, you know, whenever you see the concepts and the renderings you're like, 'Yeah, that looks really cool' but until you actually stand in here and see the scale of what they have been able to do ... I think the scale of the thing is what blows my mind.
"Every time I step in here I am blown away by the size of the screen and the fact that we are able to put something that looks like golf on a stage like this... it's really cool.
"We're obviously very excited about this in the game of golf and I think a lot of people outside of the game are going to get excited about it as well."
Will Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's brand new TGL prove a success or a flop? #PGATOUR
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) January 6, 2025
TGL explained:
Three players from each team will go head-to-head in a 15-hole match featuring two different formats – nine holes of Triples and six holes of Singles – across a selection of custom-designed holes.
Triples is an alternate-shot format where players will take turns teeing off from hole-to-hole and rotate hitting shots until the hole is finished.
Individual players will go head-to-head in a predetermined rotation over the six Singles holes.
Each team member will play two Singles holes so, for example, the two players who square off on hole No. 10 will face each other again in Singles on hole No. 13.
TGL teams:
Rory McIlroy |
Adam Scott |
Keegan Bradley |
Hideki Matsuyama |
Justin Thomas |
Patrick Cantlay |
Billy Horschel |
Lucas Glover |
Tiger Woods |
Max Homa |
Tom Kim |
Kevin Kisner |
Justin Rose |
Collin Morikawa |
Sahith Theegala |
Tommy Fleetwood |
Xander Schauffele |
Matthew Fitzpatrick |
Rickie Fowler |
Cameron Young |
Min Woo Lee |
Ludvig Aberg |
Wyndham Clark |
Shane Lowry |
Date | Team | Team | Score |
7 Jan | New York GC | The Bay GC | TBC |
14 Jan | Los Angeles GC | Jupiter Links GC | TBC |
21 Jan | New York GC | Atlanta Drive GC | TBC |
27 Jan | Jupiter Links GC | Boston Common GC | TBC |
4 Feb | Boston Common GC | Los Angeles GC | TBC |
17 Feb | Atlanta Drive GC | Los Angeles GC | TBC |
17 Feb | Atlanta Drive GC | The Bay GC | TBC |
17 Feb | The Bay GC | Boston Common GC | TBC |
18 Feb | Jupiter Links GC | New York GC | TBC |
24 Feb | Los Angeles GC | New York GC | TBC |
24 Feb | Boston Common GC | Atlanta Drive GC | TBC |
25 Feb | The Bay GC | Jupiter Links GC | TBC |
3 Mar | The Bay GC | Los Angeles GC | TBC |
3 Mar | New York GC | Boston Common GC | TBC |
4 Mar | Jupiter Links GC | Atlanta Drive GC | TBC |