The battle for golf hegemony continues to rage. If Saudi money led to the creation of the LIV Golf circuit that revolutionized the world’s professional golf scene, now it is the PGA Tour that is responding to two big bets. First, the Tour announced major changes to the competition, focusing on bringing together the stars of the circuit in both tournaments, and shortly after the creation of TGL, a league sponsored by TMRW Sports, a company behind which Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
Woods and McIlroy have agreed to participate in a “tech-enabled golf league” every Monday night, with six teams of three PGA Tour players competing in a custom-built venue starting in January 2024, it was announced of TMRW on Wednesday.
The TGL League, held in partnership with the PGA Tour, will host major PGA stars and will be played every Monday night, during prime-time hours so as not to conflict with tournaments that run from Thursday to Sunday. It’s billed as a unique experience in the world of golf, as each two-hour event will be held on “a data-rich virtual course and a technology-enabled short game complex.”
TGL’s announcement comes a day after Woods and McIlroy, two of the sport’s biggest stars, announced the launch of TMRW Sports, a company that aims to use technology as a way to cultivate a younger audience in golf.
Organizers promise a great experience for fans of the short version of golf in a coliseum setting with every shot shown live on prime time television.
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“We all know what it’s like to be in a football or basketball arena, where you can see every play, every minute of action, right in front of you,” Woods, a 15-time major champion, said in a statement.
“This is something inherently not possible in traditional golf, and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans.”
The participation of other players in the inaugural season, which will consist of a 15-game regular season followed by semifinals and finals, has yet to be announced.
“TGL will harness the appeal of team golf within an exciting and fan-friendly environment comparable to sitting courtside at an NBA game,” said McIlroy, a four-time major winner and world number four. .
“TGL will broaden golf’s appeal to younger and more diverse fans and will serve as another way to introduce people to the game they love.”
What’s new on the PGA Tour
Just an hour before, the North American circuit published a statement detailing a long list of novelties to be implemented starting next year. The most notable is that players considered “top” are required to compete in at least 20 events per year, 17 of which are the same for everyone.
“When I listen to a Tampa Bay game, I expect to see Tom Brady throw the ball. When I tune in to a Formula 1 race, I expect to see Lewis Hamilton in a single-seater. Sometimes what happens on the PGA Tour we all operate independently and have our own schedules,” McIlroy explained.
The list of tournaments in which the ‘top’ (the first 20 in the ranking) must participate, unless they provide an injury certificate, are the four majors (Augusta Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and British Open), the three FedExCup playoff events (St. Jude, BMW Championship and Tour Championship), The Players Championship and nine other “elevated events” currently the Genesis Invitational, The Memorial, Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC- Dell Match Play, Sentry Tournament of Champions and four more to be made soon.
To earn the minimum of 20, each player must participate in at least three more tournaments from all that make up the FedExCup calendar. In all tournaments the value of the prizes has increased significantly, with a minimum of 20 million dollars to be distributed in each event, except for Sentry where it will be 15 million.
Other changes feature the creation of a program that ensures a minimum income of 500,000 dollars to each player, regardless of their harvested results, those who do not exceed the cuts in tournaments will receive 5,000 dollars. Also, those who qualify for the Tour Championship, the year-end event, will have a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
