TGL to be postponed by a year

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new TGL golf league has been postponed until at least 2025. 

The tech-infused simulator league had been set to get under way in Florida next year, with all six teams announced ahead of the proposed January 9 start date.

But TGL officials have now confirmed that the league will not launch for another year, following significant damage to it’s purpose-built arena.

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A TGL statement read: “Overnight on Tuesday, November 14, a failure of the temporary power system and backup systems used during construction caused the dome to deflate, which caused damage to the air-supported dome section of the site. There were no injuries, and most of the technology was not impacted.

A Statement From TGL. pic.twitter.com/UncQxfk3EI

— TGL (@TGL) November 20, 2023

McIlroy, who had recently signed up for the Boston Common team, said: “The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement. Above all, we are happy no one was injured.

“We are looking forward to the launch of TGL. Given the circumstances, while the delay is disappointing, the postponement will allow us to regroup, refocus, and return stronger.”

Woods, a player and owner of Jupiter Links GC, added: “Although the events of last week will force us to make adjustments to our timelines, I’m fully confident that this great concept will be brought to life by our committed players.”

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The SoFi Center is a nearly 250,000-square-foot, 75 feet high indoor simulator venue that has been constructed to accommodate around 1,600 fans on match nights.

Woods and McIlroy were both set to compete in the made-for-TV league live on ESPN at primetime, after the venture was first announced in August 2022.

But while no injuries were reported, the damage to the arena caused by high winds in Florida has left officials no choice but to postpone as the damaged arena would not be ready in time for launch.

The players who had committed to playing in the league were Woods, McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala, Cameron Young, Min Woo Lee, Patrick Cantlay, Kevin Kisner, Lucas Glover and Wyndham Clark.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.