New Primetime Golf League Implementing Elements from Other Sports
ORLANDO, FLA (NOV. 6, 2023): TGL presented by SoFi today announced several competitive elements bringing fundamentals from other sports like a shot clock, timeouts, and a referee to the new primetime, team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA TOUR.
“The competitive format and tech-heavy environment enables TGL presented by SoFi to incorporate elements that are familiar to sports fans from other sports in ways that would not translate on a traditional golf course but are commonplace in a sports arena environment. Instituting a shot clock and timeouts will help make matches entertaining, fast-paced, and exciting for sports fans. These elements also add another level of strategy for the players in how they approach team decisions similar to other sports,” said Mike McCarley, CEO and Founder TMRW Sports and TGL.
TGL presented by SoFi Competitive Elements:
- Shot Clock – The shot clock will display a countdown of 40 seconds in which each player must hit their shot, or their team will receive a shot clock violation and incur a one-stroke penalty. The 40-second timeframe is based on a former USGA Local Rule and a current USGA Recommendation on pace of play.
- Timeouts – Each team will have a total of four timeouts per match with two timeouts per each of the two sessions. Timeouts not used during the first session will not carry over to the second session. For the team that is playing their shot, timeouts may be called at any point until the shot clock expires. The opposing team may call a timeout until the other team’s player has addressed the ball.
- Referee – A referee with experience with timeouts, shot clocks, and the dynamics of team sports will be on the course to administer TGL’s rules and unique situations. Additionally, a booth official, who is an expert in the rules of golf, will be monitoring the action. TGL’s rules will be rooted in the traditional rules of golf played on the PGA TOUR, as well as inherent local rules needed for the league’s unique competition format, technology, and venue.
TGL presented by SoFi previously announced competition elements for the leagues’ modern match-play format, scoring, and league standings, which can be found here.
An Overview of the Mechanics of TGL’s Shot Clock and Timeouts:
- Shot Clock Enforcement – The TGL referee, with the booth official, will be responsible for starting, managing, and enforcing the shot clock.
- Stopping and Resetting the Shot Clock – The shot clock will be stopped and reset any time the following occurs:
- A player has completed their turn.
- A player incurs a shot clock violation and receives a one-stroke penalty.
- A player calls a timeout.
- A player incurs a Rules of Golf penalty.
- The TGL referee or booth official determines the shot clock must be reset to accommodate a special circumstance.
- Timeouts:
- A member of the team will signal or verbally call a timeout to the referee, who will acknowledge the call.
- A team cannot call back-to-back timeouts while on the current shot. They must wait until the shot is hit following a timeout before calling a second timeout.
TGL presented by SoFi is a new golf league that fuses advanced tech and live action with six teams of PGA TOUR superstars. SoFi Center is TGL’s purpose-built arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Technology is a foundational element of TGL, offering fans a progressive, shorter format presentation of team golf. TGL’s six teams will be comprised of 24 top PGA TOUR players.
- TGL Teams: The six TGL teams will each have four players assigned. A TGL match will feature three players competing for each team in a modern match-play format.
- Custom-Built Venue: SoFi Center is a first-of-its-kind experience for golf enabled by a data-rich, virtual course paired with a tech-infused, short-game complex.
- Modern Match Play: TGL matches will feature two teams squaring off across two sessions: nine holes of Triples, 3 vs. 3 team alternate shot, and six holes of Singles, head-to-head competitions. Each hole is worth one point and most points wins the match.
- Tech-Enabled Fan Experience: High-energy, greenside fan experience with every shot live within a two-hour televised match. All TGL players will be mic’d up.
- Inaugural Season: 15 regular season matches followed by semifinals and finals matches, on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ in the U.S.
Team brands, front office staff, and team rosters will continue to be unveiled, as will the inaugural schedule and other operational and fan-centric elements of TGL presented by SoFi. The six team ownership groups’ 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). Team roster currently includes Justin Thomas.
- Boston Common Golf: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing). Team roster currently includes Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Tyrrell Hatton, and Adam Scott.
- 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. Team roster currently includes Collin Morikawa.
- TGL New York: led by Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures.
- TGL San Francisco: a group led by Avenue Sports Fund with Marc Lasry, Stephen Curry; as well as limited partners Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson.
About TMRW Sports Group: (pronounced “tomorrow sports”)
Founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and sports executive Mike McCarley, TMRW Sports is focused on building progressive approaches in sports, media, and entertainment that inspire the modern sports fan to create deeper connections with technology and culture. TMRW Sports’ first project, TGL presented by SoFi, is a new team golf league launched in partnership with the PGA TOUR. TMRW Sports is supported by an all-star roster of athletes, celebrities, and business leaders from the worlds of sports, media, technology, and finance who make up a powerful and diverse investor group. TMRW Sports joins Woods’ TGR Ventures and McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures, and is led by McCarley, founder and CEO. For more, visit TMRWSportsGroup.com.
TMRW Sports Group Media Contacts:
Chris Reimer
SVP, Communications – TGL
Chris.Reimer@TMRWSportsGroup.com
904-806-6614
David Schaefer
SVP, Communications – Business
David.Schaefer@TMRWSportsGroup.com
+46702877637 (mobile and WhatsApp)
407-429-8402 (U.S. mobile)
