New TGL golf team league to tee off on Jan. 7

The schedule for the inaugural TGL season was announced Tuesday, with PGA golfers from across the globe, including Korea's Tom Kim, joining the new league to compete as teams starting from January next year.

Tom Kim plays his shot from the eighth tee during the first round of the Shriners Children's Open 2024 at TPC Summerlin on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. [AFP/YONHAP]

The schedule for the inaugural TGL season was announced Tuesday, with PGA golfers from across the globe, including Korea's Tom Kim, joining the new league to compete as teams starting from January next year.

The TGL is a golf league created by TMRW Sports, a venture driven by executive Mike McCarley and pro golfers Tigers Woods and Rory McIlory in partnership with the PGA Tour.

It's an entirely new team-based format, in which a total of six teams — Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf. Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and Bay Golf Club — consisting of four golfers compete for two hours a week at a purpose built course in Palm Beach, Florida.

"TGL teams will be playing 15 holes of golf each match, divided into two sessions: 9 holes of Triples (3 vs. 3 alternate shot) and 6 holes of Singles (head-to-head play)," according to the TGL website. The Palm Beach stadium is home to a hybrid course that combines a sort-of advanced screen golf with a real-life short game.

Kim is a member of the Jupiter Links Golf Club alongside Woods, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner. Kim is the only Korean competing in the TGL.

“TGL presented by SoFi represents a giant leap forward in innovation and sports entertainment,” said Rosalyn Durant, Executive Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, at ESPN. “We have tremendous respect for the work that the TMRW Sports team has put into launching TGL and we’re confident that our viewers are going to enjoy both the competition and unique presentation.”

“TGL presented by SoFi will combine teams of world-class PGA Tour stars with the energy fans have become familiar with in other team sports — a live, courtside experience for golf on an unprecedented scale,” said TMRW Sports CEO and Founder Mike McCarley.

New York Golf Club consisting of Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young and the Bay Golf Club with Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee and Shane Lowry will be the first to go head-to-head in the TGL on Jan. 7 next year.

Kim will be in action with the Jupiter Links Golf Club in the team's first match against Los Angeles Golf Club with Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose on Jan. 14.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]