Tiger, Rory to Play in Monday Night Golf Matches in New Venture
In winter 2024, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be hitting shots into a screen in front of a live audience in a series of 18-hole matches, in an effort to expand golf's reach to a younger, more tech-savvy audience.
TMRW Sports (pronounced "tomorrow") is a new company formed by the two superstars and sports industry executive Mike McCarley, focused on building technology-based ventures with new approaches to sports and media.
The first venture, called "TGL" and starting in 2024, will have 18 holes of golf on television on Monday nights, but that's where any similarities to previous incarnations of prime-time golf end.
One team of three players will take on another three players (all PGA Tour stars), hitting balls into an oversized screen with "real" short-game shots, in front of a live audience in an enclosed space. The 18-hole matches are expected to take no more than two hours.
"For the fans, think sitting courtside at an NBA game," McCarley said Wednesday in a press conference alongside McIlroy. "It's that type of environment, music, player introductions. You're right on top of the action as a fan. You see everything play out in front of you.
"To orient yourself from a golf standpoint, you see the drives and approach shots go into the screen. It's a commercial-sized screen, not quite the size of an IMAX screen, but pretty damned close. The ball will be placed in the short game area and the guys play out from there."
McIlroy said he and Tiger shared this concept with other top players at a private meeting last week in Delaware, and there was excitement around the concept.
"I think it's a great opportunity for PGA Tour players to show a different side of themselves in primetime on a Monday night," McIlroy said. "I think it's great for brand exposure to try to engage a different audience. We've all heard about the fact of how old the golf audience is, trying to get younger eyeballs on to it."
Players will have equity stakes in the TGL and will play for a purse, and there will be six teams of three players. McCarley said the league will at first play from one yet-to-be-announced location but may move around in future years.
The TGL also figures to be a showcase for Woods, whose regular tournament play has been curtailed due to injuries that make walking 72 holes over four days a challenge.
"Who knows where we're going to see Tiger Woods play golf next, right?" McIlroy said. "But to be able to see him still showcase his skills on primetime, on TV, without really any wear and tear on his body, I think to be able to see Tiger hit golf shots and still sort of provide people with a glimpse of his genius, I think it is a really good use of his time.
McCarley said discussions will begin soon with TV partners.