Topline
It won’t have sand traps, fairway spectators or the added challenge of the blazing sun, but high-profile athletes, a few billionaire investors and now ESPN are still betting the new TGL virtual golf league will hit it big when it premieres early next year.
The last two Olympic Gold Medalists in golf, Xander Schauffele of the United States of America, and … [+]
Key Facts
Legendary golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and sports executive Mike McCarley last year founded TGL, a virtual golf league that will see 18 players compete on six different teams in head-to-head match play.
The season will be made up of 15, two-hour matches and will be played inside an arena and on a virtual, simulated golf course with a playing area about the size of a football field and a special short game area.
Personal finance company SoFi—for which the 3.1 million-square-foot home of the Los Angeles Rams is named—has agreed to be the first commercial partner of TGL and will sponsor the league’s 250,000-square-foot, purpose-built arena in Palm Beach, Florida.
Named the SoFi Center, the arena is on the campus of Palm Beach State College and will accommodate 2,000 fans, a 3,800-square-foot putting surface and a 46-foot by 64-foot screen—about 20 times larger than a standard golf simulator screen.
The six teams, including groups in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles and New York, will each play five regular season matches (the home cities of two other teams have not yet been announced).
Big Number
12. That’s how many players have committed to the league: Woods, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Adam Scott.
News Peg
ESPN on Thursday announced it will televise all 15 regular season matches in the inaugural season of TGL golf, including the semifinal and final matches. All players will wear live microphones for each two-hour match, and “viewers will have unprecedented access during competition,” ESPN executive vice president Rosalyn Durant said.
Tiger Woods of The USA and Rory McIlroy in 2022.
What To Watch For
The first match will be January 9 at 9 p.m. EDT and will air after the College Football Playoff title game. The first two matches are guaranteed to air on ESPN, and the others will air either on the main channel or ESPN2. All matches will be shown on ESPN+, the network’s streaming service.
Crucial Quote
“We’re blending a sport with 600 years of history with technology on a grand stage, built specifically for a live, primetime competition,” McCarley said.
Forbes Valuation
The investor pool for TGL golf is rich with big names. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen owns the league’s New York team, Atlanta is owned by Home Depot billionaire Arthur Blank, Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston team and investor Alexis Ohanian, Venuns Williams and Serena Williams own the Los Angeles Golf Club. The billionaire founder of Fanatics, Michael Rubin, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and Justin Timberlake are also investors, alongside a long list of high-profile athletes including Stephen Curry, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Josh Allen, Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi. Cohen was ranked 84th on Forbes‘ real-time billionaires list Thursday with an estimated net worth of $19.8 billion. Rubin is worth $11.5 billion and is the world’s 156th-richest person. Blank, who owns the Atlanta Falcons, is ranked 315th with a $7.4 billion net worth.
Tangent
TGL, in partnership with the PGA, is the latest league to disrupt the traditional world of golf, which was thrown into flux with the creation of Saudi-backed LIV golf. LIV CEO and former No. 1 golfer Greg Norman launched the LIV league in 2021 with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as the majority stakeholder. Several top stars from the PGA Tour were quickly lured away by massive deals, but those with PGA Tour affiliation were then suspended or told they were ineligible to compete in future PGA events. Officials spent a year telling players to distance themselves from the league before this summer saying the two organizations would merge to create a new, for-profit entity.
Further Reading
Mets’ Owner Lands Latest Team In Tech-Focused TGL Golf League (Forbes)
What Is Likely Happening With The PGA Tour And LIV Golf Merger? (Forbes)
PGA, LIV Leaders Called To Testify Before Congress Over Historic Merger (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/10/05/espn-welcomes-virtual-golf-what-to-know-about-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroys-new-indoor-league/