Will Stadium Golf TGL Establish Itself as a New Golf Tour?

Woods and McIlroy Lead Launch of Screen Golf Tournament
Total Prize Money of $21 Million, $9 Million for the Winning Team
Advantages in Space, Cost, and Game Duration
567 Hydraulic Jacks Installed Under the Green for Precise Adjustments

The global golf world is entering a period of change.

TGL is a screen golf tournament led by Tiger Woods (right) and Rory McIlroy. The two players are smiling brightly and talking at the TGR opening event. Palm Beach Gardens=AP·Yonhap News

At the center of this are the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (USA) and "PGA marquee star" Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland). The screen golf tournament "Tomorrow Golf League (TGL)," which the two players led the creation of, is receiving great attention. TGL was launched on the 8th. This tournament is a "new technology-based golf league" that combines indoor screen golf with cutting-edge technology, featuring a total prize money of $21 million (approximately 30.5 billion KRW), with the winning team receiving $9 million (approximately 1.31 billion KRW), making it a "jackpot series." Woods expressed confidence, saying, "Through TGL, we can see the future of 21st-century golf," and "It will attract more sports fans' interest."

Tiger Woods is appearing at the Sofia Center course to participate in the TGL regular league. Palm Beach Gardens=AP·Yonhap News

The start of TGL was not bad. The opening match confirmed the enthusiastic interest of fans. During the two-hour match, players wore microphones, and the lively atmosphere was maintained with flashing lights, exciting music, and cheers pouring from the stands that could seat about 1,500 people. The average viewership of TGL's first game reached 919,000. The American sports channel ESPN reported, "It recorded more viewers than the LIV Golf tournaments held in 2023 and 2024." This is twice the number of viewers compared to this year's PGA Tour season opener, The Sentry.

One of TGL's attractions is space efficiency. The tournament can be held sufficiently in an indoor space the size of a gymnasium. The battleground for TGL, which features top-ranked PGA Tour players, is the SoFi Center located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA. This venue is about 7,000 pyeong in size, with a screen measuring 19.5 meters wide and 16 meters high installed, and a giant screen 24 times larger than a typical screen golf display welcomes the players in a five-story building. The course where players compete consists of 30 virtual holes, some of which feature lava flows, giving the feel of playing a computer game.

The Jupiter team and the Los Angeles team are playing a green game in the TGL regular league. Palm Beach Gardens=AP·Yonhap News

The accuracy of shots has also improved. Missed shots are recognized as they are. The American sports simulator manufacturer "Full Swing" installed 18 radars and 8 optical cameras to accurately recognize players' shots. Samsung Electronics participated as a screen partner, installing LED displays on both sides of the giant screen to show various game information and videos. Hyundai Motor's Genesis also joined as a founding partner.

The green issue, a drawback of screen golf, has also been resolved. Artificial turf is used to replicate an actual field, and shots and putts within about 50 yards are conducted in the "Green Zone." Although there is only one green, the shape, slope, and undulation of the green vary for each hole, and 567 hydraulic jacks that can adjust these features are installed. The fairway and rough are made of real grass. Divots also appear just like on a real field.

Ricky Fowler of the New York team is taking a shot in the TGR regular league opening match. Palm Beach Gardens=AP·Yonhap News Photo by AP

Another major attraction of TGL is the shorter game time compared to traditional golf tournaments. While regular tournaments take more than four hours, TGL finishes matches in two hours. According to the "speed up" rule, all shots and putts must be completed within 40 seconds, and exceeding this results in a one-stroke penalty. This leaves no room for boredom.

TGL does not interfere with top PGA Tour players. Starting in early January and running through early March, six teams play a 10-week regular season every Tuesday evening, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. Each team consists of four players, with three competing in each match. Matches are decided over 15 holes instead of 18. In the first nine holes, the three players on the same team alternate hitting the ball, and the remaining six holes are played as one-on-one matches between players.

Kim Juhyung is the only Korean player participating in the TGL. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News

The players participating in TGL's inaugural year are also spectacular. Including Woods and McIlroy, 24 top players represent six cities. The teams are divided into Atlanta, Boston, Jupiter, Los Angeles, New York, and The Bay. Players such as Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Ricky Fowler (all USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Adam Scott, and Minwoo Lee (both Australia) also participate. The only Korean player is Juhyung Kim, who competes on the Jupiter team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.