Woods-McIlroy brand of tech-infused tee-off

Article posted by Coliseum, March 2^nd, 2023

Image: TGL Golf

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy put the silver-plated shovels into a pile of dirt and left sizable divots.

‘MARCA’ stated that with that, their high-tech golf league got a bit closer to launch.

The ceremonial groundbreaking for the arena that will house the league that’s being called TGL was held on February 22^nd at the Palm Beach State College (public university in Lake Worth, Florida, US) with Woods and McIlroy – two of the co-founders of TMRW Sports – there for the first step of actual construction.

Apply for membership

TGL is a planned golf league created by TMRW Sports, a venture formed by sports executive Mike McCarley and professional golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, in partnership with the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. It will launch in January 2024, with events held on Monday nights in conjunction with the PGA Tour schedule.

TMRW Sports is a company that focuses on harnessing technology to build progressive approaches in sports, media and entertainment. The company, through its website, provides content and news related to sports. It was founded in 2021 and is based in Orlando, Florida, US.

TMRW Sports is the new sports entertainment venture founded by golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and Sports Media Executive Mike McCarley.

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) is the professional body which represents the interests of teaching and club golf professionals in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was established in 1901 and is based at The Belfry near Birmingham, England, UK.

The PGA Tour is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning tournaments on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, and PGA Tour Canada.

Eldrick Tont ‘Tiger’ Woods is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men’s major championships and hold numerous golf records. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and is one of the most famous athletes in modern history.

Rory Daniel McIlroy MBE is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, and has spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career.

Mike McCarley is an American media executive and the founder and CEO of TMRW Sports, a company which he founded with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Previously, he was President of Golf for the NBC Sports Group after leading marketing for NBC’s Olympics and Sunday Night Football franchises.

When will the TGL be Played?

‘MARCA’ further stated that TMRW – pronounced ‘tomorrow’ – says TGL play will begin early 2024, and the league will be in partnership with the PGA Tour. Woods and McIlroy, so far, have 11 players committed to the league. Besides them, the league will include world No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spanish professional golfer), Justin Thomas (American professional golfer), Adam Scott (Australian professional golfer), Collin Morikawa (American professional golfer), Matt Fitzpatrick (English professional golfer), Max Homa (American professional golfer), Billy Horschel (American professional golfer), Justin Rose (English professional golfer), and Xander Schauffele (American professional golfer).

The above list includes six players currently ranked 10^th or better in the world, plus the game’s biggest draw in Woods.

Said Mcllroy, “In terms of fan experience, it’s going to be nothing like golf has offered before.”

The concept is this: Six teams of three PGA Tour players, squaring off in match play on a data-driven virtual course that also includes a short-game complex for chipping and putting.

It’ll be played on Monday nights, and will take only two hours, with in-arena fans all very close to the action. There will be 15 matches in the regular season, followed by semifinals and a final.

Stated Woods, “We’re going to have excitement, we’re going to have something different, something that is passionate. We’ve been involved in teams before whether it’s Ryder Cup, President’s Cup, Irish national teams, for me high school, college, whatever it is. You’re going to get home and away, you’re going to get some people that you want to win and not win. We’re going to have that type of excitement.”

And you can bet on it. Literally, Woods pointed out.

Added Woods, “Wagering is part of our sport, part of our culture. We don’t know how to play golf without it.”

Access is part of the allure of the concept, along with the technology. Only a handful of fans at typical golf events can get close to the action, and they’re often running from hole to hole to stay with a certain group.

TGL Players will be Mic’d-up

TGL players will be mic’d-up, and fans won’t have to guess what their thought processes are on certain shots.

Added McIlroy, “It’s going to give the viewer at home and also the people in the arena just more of an in-depth of sort of how we do things and how we sort of think through things in our head. It’s just a more in-depth look into that.”

Getting ‘mic’d up’ is the process of having a Lav mic installed on one’s body. It only takes a few minutes and is typically a very easy process!

Mike McCarley, another Co-Founder and former Golf Channel President, said the arena will be built on a 10-acre (435,600-square feet) parcel of unused land. The partnership includes educational and recreational initiatives that will benefit Palm Beach State students, along with offering paid internships and other opportunities for students in technology, hospitality and administrative services.

Stated McCarley, “Think about how cool this will be for this land, this campus, to become a launching pad for future leaders in sports and media and technology as they learn here as part of TGL. We are breaking ground on much more than a dream, much more than a prime-time golf league.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 250 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue