TGL, a new technology-focused golf league that will fuse advanced tech and live action, has unveiled details about the format.
The league, which has been jumpstarted by two of the most recognizable names in the sport, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, will feature six four-man teams. The teams include Boston Common Golf, Atlanta Drive GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, TGL New York and TGL San Francisco.
All matches will be held at SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Approximately 1,600 people will be able to watch in person with television coverage set for ABC and the World Wide Leader. The course within SoFi Center will cover an area roughly the size of a football field.
Each match will feature one team against another team. Before the match starts, each team will designate three of its four players to compete in the 3v3 matchup.
There will be a total of 15 holes in each match, which TGL is calling “Modern Match Play.” The first nine holes will feature a three-man alternating shot format called “Triples.” During that first session, for example, one player will hit from the tee, one will hit the approach, and one will hit the first putt. Players will hit off playing surfaces including real grass and tee boxes, real fairways and rough while bunker shots will be played from the sand.
The second session will be six holes. Those six holes will include a head-to-head format called “Singles.” Each of the team’s three golfers will play two holes apiece.
Each hole is worth one point for the winning team. If neither team wins the hole, neither gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the 15 holes wins the match. However, if both teams are tied after 15 holes, the sudden death overtime is a closest-to-the-pin contest. Each player gets one chance to shoot, making for a total of six shots.
The regular-season point system is a points-based system similar to professional hockey. A win in either regulation or overtime results in two points for the winning team. For the losing team, an overtime loss results in one point while a loss in regulation is zero points.
At the end of the regular season, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs. The first round will feature a single-elimination game while the championship series will be a best-of-three matchup.
TGL is scheduled to start Jan. 9 with coverage across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. For more information and players who have committed, you can check out the league’s website.
