[Golf Photo] Woods and McIlroy Team Up

○…Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland, left) and 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) share bright smiles. On the 7th (local time), they were talking at the opening match of the Screen Golf League TGL (total prize money of $21 million) held at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA.

TGL is a new type of golf league led by Woods and McIlroy. It is sponsored by Genesis. Six teams composed of players from the PGA Tour participate. Among Korean players, Kim Joo-hyung is competing. Of the total 15 holes, the first 9 holes are played in a triple format where three teammates alternate hitting one ball, and the remaining 6 holes are played as one-on-one matches with each player playing 2 holes.

The matches take place in an indoor arena of about 7,000 pyeong, equipped with a screen measuring 19.5 meters wide and 16 meters high. When the distance to the pin is within 50 yards (about 45 meters), the play proceeds in the green zone inside the arena. The green zone, made of real grass, has varying slopes for each hole. This season, each team plays 5 matches, and the top 4 teams advance to the semifinals. The semifinals are single matches, and the finals are best-of-three matches. The league runs until March 25. Palm Beach Gardens (USA) = AP·Yonhap News