Modern Match Play
- Each hole has a value of 1 point and the team with the fewest shots on a hole wins the point. Ties are worth 0 points and there are no carryovers.
- Sessions – Within a match there will be two sessions played in two different formats:
- Session 1 – 9 holes of “Triples” – Three vs. three, team alternate-shot format.
- Session 2 – 6 holes of “Singles” – One-on-one, head-to-head competition, with each player playing two holes during the session.
- Overtime – If tied at the end of regulation, similar to a soccer penalty shootout, players compete head-to-head until a team successfully hits two shots closer to the pin than their competitors.
Regular Season Point System
Similar to professional hockey, TGL will use a points-based system for regular season matches. For each match, teams can be awarded up to 2 points towards their regular-season total based on the following:
|
2 Points |
|
2 Points |
|
1 Point |
|
0 Points |
Post Season
- The top 4 teams will advance to the playoffs which will include single-elimination semifinals and a “best-of-three” Championship Series.
- More new and exciting competitive elements to be released soon.
VENUE
- SoFi Center, Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
- SoFi Center is a nearly 250,000-square-foot venue with a 75-foot-high apex that will accommodate approximately 1,600 people on match nights during TGL’s inaugural season.
Course:
The course within the SoFi Center will be infused with various technologies and cover an area approximately 97 by 50 yards, roughly the size of a football field.
Tee Shots and Approach:
Players will hit from real grass tee boxes, fairway surfaces, rough, and sand on long shots into a 64 x 46 foot screen powered by Full Swing technology. The screen is roughly 20 times the size of a standard simulator.
Short-game and putting:
For shots within approximately 50 yards or less, depending on green setup and hole locations, the players will transition from Screenplay to Greenplay to a custom-built complex referred to as the “Green Zone” that is larger than four basketball courts and will feature the largest-ever adaptable putting surface built by Full Swing. The 3,800 square-foot tech-infused green includes three 15 x 27 foot Virtual Greens by Full Swing, each with 189 actuators and jacks that change the slope of the green creating a variety of play on every TGL hole.
SoFi Center will include a large plaza area to host pre-match festivities and numerous elements to complement and enhance the fan experience.
TEAMS AND WEEKLY FIELDS
- TGL will consist of six teams with four players on each team (24 total PGA TOUR players).
- In advance of each match, the two competing teams will name three competitors.
- All players will be mic’d up during the competition.
- Team names, brands, front office staff and assigned players will be unveiled soon, as will the inaugural schedule and other operational and fan-centric elements of TGL presented by SoFi. Currently five of six team ownership groups have been announced and their combined sports team ownership experience spans the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Premier League, NASCAR, MLS, and NWSL:
- Atlanta Drive GC: led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores)
- Boston Common Golf: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing)
- Los Angeles Golf Club: led by Alexis Ohanian (Angel City FC), Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams; as well as limited partners the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, and Michelle Wie West
- TGL New York: led by Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures
- TGL San Francisco: a group led by Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund and Stephen Curry; as well as co-investors Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson
DATES
Beginning on January 9, 2024, two teams will compete head-to-head in two-hour competitions across a season of matches in prime time. TGL programming will be featured across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. ABC will air a TGL presented by SoFi preview show on Saturday, Dec. 30. The inaugural TGL match will air in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ on Tuesday, Jan. 9, the night following the College Football Playoff National Championship. The second TGL match will air in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ on Tuesday, Jan. 16, the night following ESPN’s Monday Night Football NFL Wild Card game. All Matches will air on either ESPN or ESPN2 and simulcast on ESPN+.
MEDIA CONTACTS
- Chris Reimer, SVP of TGL Communications, Chris.Reimer@TMRWSportsGroup.com
- David Schafer, SVP of TMRW Sports Communications, Business, David.Schaefer@TMRWSportsGroup.com
- Adam Freifeld, Senior Communications Consultant, Adam.Freifeld@TMRWSportsGroup.com
