TMRW Sports, the innovative sports venture supported by golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has announced the rescheduled start date for the inaugural season of its highly anticipated TGL golf competition. Set to tee off on January 7th, 2025, the event will take place at a newly revamped purpose-built facility located in Florida.
Initially slated to debut earlier, TGL encountered setbacks due to technical issues, resulting in a delay of its inaugural season. A temporary failure in the power and backup systems led to the deflation of the dome-based roof, exposing the structure to weather damage. Despite minimal impact on the venue's underlying technology, the delays proved insurmountable for the ambitious timeline.
Taking advantage of the postponement, TGL has seized the opportunity to enhance the design of the SoFi Center. A new steel-based structure replaces the damaged dome, accommodating 1,500 seats encircling the field of play.
The venue will feature a state-of-the-art data-driven virtual course and a short game complex for putting and chipping. Utilising Full Swing's simulator technology, players will tee off on a 3,000-square-foot giant screen for their initial drives down the fairway.
Once within approximately 50 yards of the 'GreenZone,' players will transition to a 22,475-square-foot short game complex, complete with greens, roughs, and bunkers. The tech-enabled green will dynamically alter slopes and gradients for each hole, employing a 41-yard-wide turntable and nearly 600 motorised actuators and jacks.
Furthermore, organisers have optimised TGL's television schedule during the hiatus. ESPN, which secured a multi-year broadcasting deal for the tournament, will air all events on ESPN or ESPN 2, with simulcasts on the ESPN+ direct-to-consumer streaming service.
The first three TGL matches will receive prominent coverage on ESPN's flagship network, leveraging the channel's broadcasts of the NFL playoffs and the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP).
Mike McCarley, Chief Executive of TMRW Sports, expressed excitement about the forthcoming launch, stating, "January is a tremendous time of year for fans looking for primetime sports, and TGL's launch will complement the start of the PGA Tour season and take advantage of ESPN's promotional machine across their coverage of the NFL and college football playoffs."
Moreover, each of the six teams has opened up to outside investors, with notable names such as John Henry's Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets, and a consortium including Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six venture capital firm, Serena and Venus Williams, and Michelle Wie West, among others, coming on board.