What’s new heading into second season of TGL

The second TGL season tees off Sunday with a rematch of final 12 months’s SoFi Cup finals, during 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 crew 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 very least firstly 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 rivals. All the matches might 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 actual fact, these groups mixed to win solely one in every of 10 matches.

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„I feel 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 greater and badder GreenZone placing floor, which is 38% bigger than final season, in line with 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 might 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 sort of 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 just a little extra constant, which I feel is superior for any of us, however particularly guys that delight themselves on being good putters.“

The higher tier of the inexperienced has fastened topography and does not transfer, in line with Andrew Macaulay, chief expertise officer at TMRW Sports activities. The big knoll in the course of the higher tier was dropped by about 1½ ft to present 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 greater 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 way in which towards the center, eliminating difficult into-the-grain pictures that perplexed gamers final season. Lengthy iron pictures on par-5 holes which may have stopped final season are actually extra more likely to bounce on the inexperienced and towards the opening.

„Now, each chip’s down grain, which I feel will create extra pleasure for the viewership, as a result of we’ll be capable of do something we would like with a golf ball,“ Clark mentioned.

Signature holes for each crew

Amongst a number of new holes from golf course architects Gil Hanse, Beau Welling Design, Pizá Golf and Nicklaus Design are six which have been up to date to turn out to be signature holes for every of the groups.

As an example, The Bay Golf Membership’s „Bay Breaker“ gap options towering redwoods and fog. Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline may be seen within the distance. Macaulay mentioned the opening was impressed by Pebble Seaside Golf Hyperlinks, TPC Harding Park and Lincoln Park golf programs within the Bay space.

„Each crew has their very own gap, and, after all, any given match between two groups, these two holes might be performed,“ Macaulay mentioned. „It is a bonus for the crew as a result of they get to play their gap each single match, whereas their opponent, throughout the common season, solely will get to play it once they’re enjoying towards 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 facet that separates the enjoying space from a graveyard subsequent to a New England-style church.

„Gamers have to be correct with their approaches — the church offers a grim reminder that any pictures hit too far left should not lengthy for this world,“ the TGL description mentioned.

A par-4 gap known as „Stinger“ was impressed by Tiger’s signature stinger pictures. A pure rock formation encourages golfers to hit stinger pictures off the tee, no greater than 50 ft or so.

„These courageous and skillful sufficient to take it on efficiently might 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 choice: 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 are able to have some holes that you’d see in a online game,“ mentioned Atlanta Drive GC member Billy Horschel. „As a result of in some kind [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 expertise

TGL is selling its new shot comparability graphics, which can use Digital Eye expertise to trace golfers‘ pictures on fairways and greens. The league mentioned „data-rich, augmented-reality graphics overlaid on the inexperienced may also illustrate shot high quality at pivotal moments by evaluating to crew averages and one of the best method ever on that gap.“

„[L]ive shot tracing will observe balls in flight earlier than they hit TGL’s huge display, the most important simulator in all of golf,“ TGL mentioned in a information launch.

Moreover, SoFi Heart now has 79 cameras to seize each angle of a match, „together with the return of the award-winning SmartPin Cam, which offers stay, 360-degree views from the angle of the pin flag“ and „new digicam angles, comparable to 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 Collection

Match 1: Monday, March 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2Match 2: Tuesday, March 24, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNMatch 3 (if mandatory): Tuesday, March 24, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN