Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have teamed up to launch a company, TMRW Sports, with the intention to form a brand new “high-tech golf league” to attract younger fans to the sport.
This new golf initiative will begin in 2024 in partnership with the PGA Tour, and the league will consist of three six-man teams competing on “a data rich, virtual course” in a stadium environment. Each of the 18-hole tournaments will take just over two hours to complete. TMRW Sports (pronounced 'Tomorrow Sports') will feature “progressive approaches to sports, media, and entertainment” according to a company press release.
The league, called TGL, shall be completely run by TMRW Sports and, in partnership with the PGA Tour, will hold events on 15 Monday nights, commencing in January 2024. This schedule will complement the PGA Tour, and after the first 15 events there will be semi-finals and a final.
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McIlroy and Woods, as two of the sport's biggest stars, have been among the PGA Tour's most vocal advocates during the ongoing power struggle with the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series, watching many of their fellow stars sign up for the new tour.
Woods, 46, flew to Delaware last week on the eve of the BMW Championship to lead a players-only meeting to discuss the growing threat of LIV Golf. McIlroy, 33, was also a key figure. This was followed by Wednesday's announcement by the PGA Tour that it is increasing prize money at 12 events to match those of LIV Golf, along with several other changes. The launch of TGL will be seen as another boost to the PGA Tour's attempts to retain its star assets.
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"We all know what it's like to be in a football stadium or a basketball arena where you can watch every play, every minute of action unfold right in front of you," 15-time major winner Woods said in a statement.
"It's something that inherently isn't possible in traditional golf - and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans."
The league will take place in a custom-built arena and will offer 'a high-tech, high-energy fan experience with fans sitting greenside'.
"TGL will tap into the appeal of team golf within an exciting, fan-friendly environment, comparable to sitting court-side at an NBA game," added McIlroy. "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."
Woods and four-time major winner McIlroy are the first two players committed to competing.
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