The 6 Teams Competing in the First TGL Season
The professional golf landscape has changed substantially in the past few years, beginning with the creation of LIV Golf in 2021. The Saudi-funded golf tour introduced several new elements, including a team format, no cuts, and 54-hole tournaments rather than 72 (as has long been the custom on the PGA Tour). It also attracted many top PGA Tour players, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka, with the promise of guaranteed money (in some cases exceeding $100 million).
While there was initially conflict between LIV and the PGA Tour, there are ongoing talks about a potential merger between the two leagues and the European Tour. In the meantime, 24 PGA Tour players are competing in the inaugural TGL golf league, beginning in January 2025.
The new tech-focused league is capitalizing on the interest in LIV's team format and includes several features aimed at optimizing the product for broadcast TV, including a shot clock, 15-hole match play, and a referee enforcing the rules. Matches will be broadcast in prime time on ESPN and emanate from Florida's SoFi Center, which has a 64x53-foot screen for shots from the tee box and fairway and a synthetic putting surface with virtual green technology that can morph the topography for different holes.
Here's a look at the six teams for the new league.
Boston Common Golf
Rory McIlroy, a 26-time winner on the PGA Tour and co-developer of the TGL along with Tiger Woods, headlines the Boston Common Golf squad. He's joined by Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, and New England native Keegan Bradley. Combined, they have more than 50 wins on the PGA Tour. They're also all major championship winners.
McIlroy is a four-time major winner, having won the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014. Matsuyama won the Masters, the only major that McIlroy hasn't won, in 2021. Scott became the first golfer from Australia to win the Masters in 2013 and, as of the end of the 2024 season, had participated in 92 consecutive majors, which is second all-time to Jack Nicklaus' record of 146. Bradley, meanwhile, won the PGA Championship in 2011.
Boston Common will play its first match on January 27 against Juniper Links Golf Club.
Jupiter Links Golf Club
Woods, who co-created the TGL with McIlroy, is on the Jupiter Links Golf Club representing the Florida area, along with Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner. The team's logo highlights the beach and golf lifestyle prominent in Jupiter with its "palm flag" emblem, while the handwritten font displaying the team name is in the same font Woods uses for his signature.
While Woods is the only major champion on the roster, Homa, Kim, and Kisner have a combined 13 wins in PGA Tour events and have made more than $70 million in prize money. Homa finished T3 at the 2024 Masters Tournament.
Atlanta Drive GC
Atlanta Drive GC, which begins its season on January 21 against New York Golf Club, features Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Lucas Glover, who have a combined 37 victories on the PGA Tour.
They've also had varying degrees of success in major championships, with Thomas winning the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022 and Glover winning the 2009 U.S. Open. Cantlay, meanwhile, has top 10 results in each of the four majors, while Horschel was runner-up at The Open Championship in 2024.
New York Golf Club
Xander Schauffele, who arguably had the best season on the PGA Tour in 2024, headlines New York Golf Club. The 31-year-old native of San Diego, California, won his first major at the PGA Championship and added another major title by winning The Open Championship. He's a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour and also won the gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, and Cameron Young join Schauffele on the New York squad. Together, they have nearly 30 victories, 10 Ryder Cup selections, and 3 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Awards. Fitzpatrick is also a major champion, having won the U.S. Open in 2022.
Los Angeles Golf Club
Los Angeles Golf Club begins its season on January 14 against Jupiter Links. The team is composed of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, and Sahith Theegala. Seven Seven Six founder Alexis Ohanian founded the team along with his wife Serena Williams and her sister Venus, while other supporters include Michelle Wie West, Alex Morgan, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bay Golf Club
The Bay Golf Club, representing the San Francisco Bay Area, will play in the inaugural TGL match against New York Golf Club on January 7. The team features 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark, 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, and Min Woo Lee. Marc Lasry's Avenue Sports Fund is the majority owner of the team, while current and former Golden State Warriors stars, including Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, are among the minority investors.