The second TGL season tees off Sunday with a rematch of final 12 months’s SoFi Cup finals, by which Atlanta Drive GC defeated New York Golf Membership in a pair of one-point matches on the ultimate gap to seize the inaugural title within the tech-infused indoor golf league.
The six group rosters stay unchanged from the inaugural season, though 15-time main champion Tiger Woods and two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas will not compete, at the least at first of the TGL season, whereas they proceed to recuperate from again surgical procedures.
Woods, who turns 50 on Dec. 30, is predicted to attend Jupiter Hyperlinks GC matches and put on a microphone as he cuts up with teammates and opponents. All the matches will probably be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and/or ESPN+.
Final season, Jupiter Hyperlinks GC and Rory McIlroy’s Boston Frequent Golf have been the one groups to not make the playoffs. In truth, these groups mixed to win solely considered one of 10 matches.
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“I believe all of us are able to not suck anymore,” mentioned Tom Kim, a member of Jupiter Hyperlinks GC. “We’re able to win, particularly for a man who’s not used to dropping as a lot. And he is on our butts to get into the playoffs.”
So what’s new within the six-team league that may play 5 matches every in a daily season that begins Sunday and ends March 3?
Bigger GreenZone placing inexperienced
There is a larger and badder GreenZone placing floor, which is 38% bigger than final season, based on TGL. It elevated from 3,800 sq. ft to five,270 and now has 12 gap areas (there have been seven beforehand).
TGL mentioned 608 actuators will probably be used to morph the placing floor and two bigger full swing digital greens underneath the turf are actually 1,250 sq. ft, which is 60 sq. ft bigger than final season.
“Clearly, the inexperienced is nearly double the scale,” mentioned 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark, a member of The Bay Golf Membership. “I’ve heard that it will be simpler to learn and slightly extra constant, which I believe is superior for any of us, however particularly guys that satisfaction themselves on being good putters.”
The higher tier of the inexperienced has mounted topography and would not transfer, based on Andrew Macaulay, chief know-how officer at TMRW Sports activities. The massive knoll in the course of the higher tier was dropped by about 1½ ft to provide in-arena followers a greater view of the motion. A small bunker was additionally eliminated to extend the placing floor.
“We have made the 2 different bunkers larger and riveted edges round them, so a a lot nicer-looking and simpler transition from sand to fairway round them,” Macaulay mentioned.
One other large change is that turf was laid down grain all the best way towards the center, eliminating difficult into-the-grain photographs that perplexed gamers final season. Lengthy iron photographs on par-5 holes that may have stopped final season are actually extra prone to bounce on the inexperienced and towards the opening.
“Now, each chip’s down grain, which I believe will create extra pleasure for the viewership, as a result of we’ll be capable to do something we wish with a golf ball,” Clark mentioned.
Signature holes for each group
Amongst a number of new holes from golf course architects Gil Hanse, Beau Welling Design, Pizá Golf and Nicklaus Design are six which were up to date to change into signature holes for every of the groups.
For example, The Bay Golf Membership’s “Bay Breaker” gap options towering redwoods and fog. Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline could be seen within the distance. Macaulay mentioned the opening was impressed by Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks, TPC Harding Park and Lincoln Park golf programs within the Bay space.
“Each group has their very own gap, and, after all, any given match between two groups, these two holes will probably be performed,” Macaulay mentioned. “It is a bonus for the group as a result of they get to play their gap each single match, whereas their opponent, through the common season, solely will get to play it after they’re enjoying in opposition to The Bay, for instance.”
Past the signature holes, there are a selection of different new holes that have been added.
Hanse’s first gap for TGL is a par-5 known as “Stone & Steeple,” which has Sahara-style cross bunkers off the tee and a stone wall down the left aspect that separates the enjoying space from a graveyard subsequent to a New England-style church.
“Gamers should be correct with their approaches — the church gives a grim reminder that any photographs hit too far left aren’t lengthy for this world,” the TGL description mentioned.
A par-4 gap known as “Stinger” was impressed by Tiger’s signature stinger photographs. A pure rock formation encourages golfers to hit stinger photographs off the tee, no larger than 50 ft or so.
“These courageous and skillful sufficient to take it on efficiently will probably be rewarded with a lift of additional roll past 260 yards into place A on this double-dogleg gap,” the TGL description mentioned. “There’s another possibility: a brief, mid-to-high draw off the tee to skirt the rock formation. However the place’s the enjoyable in that?”
A brand new par-3 gap takes its identify from the pure limestone sinkholes of the Yucatán Peninsula, which have been sacred to Mayans.
“We will nonetheless have the standard holes, however we will have some holes that you’d see in a online game,” mentioned Atlanta Drive GC member Billy Horschel. “As a result of in some type [of way], this can be a online game that we’re enjoying. We’re enjoying a high-tech online game in a way.”
New graphics and know-how
TGL is selling its new shot comparability graphics, which is able to use Digital Eye know-how to trace golfers’ photographs on fairways and greens. The league mentioned “data-rich, augmented-reality graphics overlaid on the inexperienced may even illustrate shot high quality at pivotal moments by evaluating to group averages and the perfect strategy ever on that gap.”
“[L]ive shot tracing will observe balls in flight earlier than they hit TGL’s large display screen, the most important simulator in all of golf,” TGL mentioned in a information launch.
Moreover, SoFi Middle now has 79 cameras to seize each angle of a match, “together with the return of the award-winning SmartPin Cam, which gives dwell, 360-degree views from the angle of the pin flag” and “new digital camera angles, reminiscent of a reverse shot from a fairway again to the tee or hovering perspective above the inexperienced.”
Who’s on which groups?
Atlanta Drive GC
Justin ThomasPatrick CantlayBilly HorschelLucas Glover
Boston Frequent Golf
Rory McIlroyKeegan BradleyAdam ScottHideki Matsuyama
Jupiter Hyperlinks GC
Tiger WoodsMax HomaTom KimKevin Kisner
Los Angeles Golf Membership
Collin MorikawaTommy FleetwoodJustin RoseSahith Theegala
New York Golf Membership
Matt FitzpatrickRickie FowlerXander SchauffeleCameron Younger
The Bay Golf Membership
Ludvig ÅbergWyndham ClarkMin Woo LeeShane Lowry
2025-26 SCHEDULE
Sunday, Dec. 28: New York Golf Membership vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+
Friday, Jan. 2: Boston Frequent Golf vs. Los Angeles Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, Jan. 6: The Bay Golf Membership vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, Jan. 13: Jupiter Hyperlinks GC vs. New York Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Jupiter Hyperlinks GC vs. Los Angeles Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, Jan. 26: Boston Frequent Golf vs. The Bay Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Monday, Feb. 2: Atlanta Drive GC vs. Jupiter Hyperlinks GC, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, Feb. 9: The Bay Golf Membership vs. Los Angeles Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Monday, Feb. 23: Atlanta Drive GC vs. Boston Frequent Golf, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, Feb. 23: Los Angeles Golf Membership vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, Feb. 24: New York Golf Membership vs. The Bay Golf Membership, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, Feb. 24: Boston Frequent Golf vs. New York Golf Membership, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Sunday, March 1: Jupiter Hyperlinks GC vs. Boston Frequent Golf, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, March 2: Los Angeles Golf Membership vs. New York Golf Membership, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, March 3: The Bay Golf Membership vs. Jupiter Hyperlinks GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
SoFi Cup playoffs
March 17: Semifinals match, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPNMarch 17: Semifinals match, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Finals Sequence
Match 1: Monday, March 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2Match 2: Tuesday, March 24, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNMatch 3 (if crucial): Tuesday, March 24, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
