Pro golf is having a moment

TGL, the new tech-forward golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and backed by the PGA Tour, has signed a multi-year media rights deal with ESPN to televise its matches.

The six-team league, which has already secured commitments from top players including Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, and Rickie Fowler, will make its primetime debut on January 9, the night after college football’s national championship game.

And while the TGL acronym probably stands for TMRW Golf League (TMRW Sports is a biz founded by Tiger and Rory) or Tech Golf League, it should stand for “Top Golf” League – because all of its matches will be played inside, surrounded by screens (and probably beer).

• Each team will have three Tour golfers, who will play two-hour, head-to-head match-play matches in a specially built arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
• The arena features a virtual course as well as a physical putting green, and all participating players will be mic’d up.

TGL’s launch comes as pro golf finds itself at a major crossroads. The proposed merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund-backed rival LIV Golf has yet to be finalized, and other Tour-focused investors are circling.

But men’s golf may not be their only option. The LPGA is also seeking new financial investment. And, according to the Financial Times, the circuit is close to naming a strategic partner that could bring in outside capital.