Tiger Woods of the US and Rory McIlroy of Northern Eire stroll to the eleventh fairway throughout a follow spherical previous to the 2023 Masters Event at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on April 03, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia.
Christian Petersen | Getty Photographs Sport | Getty Photographs
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s indoor golf league, TGL, has postponed its inaugural season by a yr till the beginning of 2025, the group mentioned Monday.
The choice comes after the roof of the brand new enviornment slated to host TGL matches collapsed final week. The league mentioned the ability system used throughout development of the SoFi Heart in Palm Seaside Gardens, Florida failed, inflicting a dome construction to deflate.
The accident didn’t trigger accidents or harm the league’s golf simulators and different know-how, TGL mentioned. However TGL delayed the season, which was anticipated to start out in January, after chatting with key companions.
“This determination got here after reviewing short-term options, potential development timelines, participant schedules, and the primetime sports activities tv calendar,” the league mentioned in an announcement. “We’re assured that the extension will solely enhance our supply.”
TGL, which counts the PGA Tour as a companion, was based by McIlroy, Woods and former NBC government Mike McCarthy. The trio needs to create a primetime indoor golf league to draw new followers to the game at because the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, after which its proposed merger with the PGA Tour, left golf at a crossroads.
Woods was optimistic concerning the league’s future regardless of the delayed launch.
“Though the occasions of final week will drive us to make changes to our timelines, I am totally assured that this idea shall be delivered to life by our nice dedicated gamers,” Woods mentioned in an announcement Monday.
TGL has drawn among the greatest golfers on this planet as a part of its lineup. It is unclear how the brand new timeline may have an effect on participant participation.
The league has additionally attracted various high-profile workforce house owners and traders together with hedge funder Steve Cohen, Atlanta Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean, Fenway Sports activities Group, tech founder Alexis Ohanian and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. Different traders within the league embody basketball nice Stephen Curry, race automobile driver Lewis Hamilton, ladies’s soccer participant Alex Morgan, singer Justin Timberlake and professional soccer’s Tony Romo and Josh Allen.
TGL signed a multi-year media rights take care of ESPN in October to broadcast its occasions.
ESPN mentioned it totally helps the choice to postpone the 2024 season.
“We have now believed in them and their imaginative and prescient from the start, and that has not modified. The extra time to plan, check and rehearse will solely make it higher, mentioned Rosalyn Durant, government vice chairman, programming and acquisitions at ESPN.
