Rory McIlroy explains what TGL has done better than LIV

Rory McIlroy believes TGL, his new tech-infused golf league which launches next month, has one advantage over the breakaway LIV Golf circuit.

The venture, co-owned by McIlroy and Tiger Woods, will finally kick off on January 7 following a year-long delay due to a storm that damaged the purpose-built SoFi Center Arena in Florida.

The indoor made-for-TV matches will see some of the best PGA Tour players compete on a huge simulator and innovative short-game complex. McIlroy will compete for the Boston Common team, also made up of Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama.

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Each team in the TGL has been assigned a location, with the likes of Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler playing for a New York-based outfit and Woods playing for Jupiter Links.

McIlroy was asked during a media call on Friday if the team aspect of the TGL matches, which will be showcased on primetime in the US on Monday evenings, will be able to compete with LIV.

“Team golf has been around since 1927 in the professional game – you go back to the Ryder Cup,” the Northern Irishman stressed, speaking ahead of the launch of ‘unCOMMON: Building a Boston Sports Team’ – a new behind-the-scenes documentary focusing on his team’s TGL preparations.

“The one thing that TGL has done a good job of is trying to locate the different teams in cities or geographies where you can really plug into the wider sports fan of that city. With Boston Common, everyone knowing the intensity in which Boston fans support their teams.

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“Fenway [Sports Group] owns the team so plugging into Boston Red Sox fans and everyone else, whether it be the Celtics or the Patriots, that at least gives you a connection to something – which is great.

“We’ve got Keegan who is from that area so he is so proud to be playing for a Boston sports team. We have that in our favour as well. That’s what TGL has done maybe a little bit better to connect with certain fanbases, than say LIV for example.”

McIlroy, however, also stressed that TGL is an entirely different entertainment product that has its place in the new golf landscape.

“Obviously there’s only so many weeks in a year. There’s only so much golf we can all play. I see this as being complementary to everything else that is going on in the world of golf.

“I’m still a traditionalist in a lot of ways. There’s no replicating championship golf. That’s always going to be around.

“But there are certain things we can do to innovate and appeal to a younger demographic. Especially condensing it into a timeframe which is a little bit more digestible and putting it on at a time we’re going to get a few more eyeballs as well.

“We’ve tried to think of everything and the proof will be in the pudding when it kicks off on January 7, but we’re all very excited about the possibilities of it.”

For everything you need to know about the TGL, click here.