Tiger Woods couldn’t be more involved with prime-time TGL unless he had built the arena. He helped develop the tech-infused golf league. He’s playing in it. And now he’s a team owner.
Woods and his TGR Ventures and David Blitzer, the investor who has ownership in all four major U.S. sports leagues, were announced Tuesday as owners of Jupiter Links GC, the sixth and final team for the first-of-its-kind golf league that starts in January.
Woods, Rory McIlroy and former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley are founding partners in TMRW Sports, the sports and entertainment company behind TGL.
“Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me,” Woods said.
Woods referred to TGL as a “modern twist of traditional golf” that ultimately will make it more accessible by leaning the glitz of technology. Key to the modernization is playing in SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, an arena that holds some 1,600 spectators.
Teams will go head-to-head for nine holes of alternate shot and six holes of singles, starting off by hitting shots from real turf into a screen 20 times larger than a standard simulator, and then shifting to actual shots from 50 yards or closer to a green complex that can turn 360 degrees to create different angles. They putt on a synthetic surface in which contours can change.
Play starts Jan. 9. The two-hour matches — two teams at a time — will be televised on ESPN on Mondays and/or Tuesday, ending before the Masters. The prize fund is $21 million, with $9 million going to the winning team and players eventually getting equity in the league.
Technology is one thing. Woods also said the two-hour window is key to attracting fans. “Generally, golf takes about five or six hours to play. In today’s world, with all of our smartphones, it is hard for anybody to go five to six hours without looking at their phones. So, the shorter the time, the better it is.” Three players from the four-man teams compete in each match. Woods hasn’t competed since the Masters because of lingering leg injuries from a February 2021 car crash outside of Los Angeles. But he expects to be front and centre for TGL.
