The first season of TGL golf rolls on with its penultimate week of matches and it will be an especially crucial moment for Rory McIlroy, who co-founded this new virtual golf league along with Tiger Woods. If the inaugural TGL playoffs started today, the two teams led by Woods and McIlroy would not qualify for the league’s four-team postseason format.
But McIlroy and Woods have two more chances to work their way into the postseason mix, beginning with a Monday doubleheader that ends with McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf facing Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and the rest of Atlanta Drive Golf Club. Boston Common Golf, which also features Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott, is the only TGL team to not win a match yet this season.
The first match Monday at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida will pit Collin Morikawa-led Los Angeles Golf Club against Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young of New York Golf Club. In an intriguing twist, Tony Finau has signed a one-match deal to play with Los Angeles Golf Club this week.
Here’s how to watch all the TGL action, the upcoming schedule and the standings as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods try to make a playoff push:
When is Tiger Woods playing?
Woods is not scheduled to play in his scheduled TGL match with Jupiter Links GC on Tuesday, according to Golf Week, after he admitted to having ‘a hard time’ emotionally during his return last week for the first time since his mother’s death.
Jupiter Links GC faces The Bay Golf Club, which has Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark and Min Woo Lee. Tom Kim, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner will represent Jupiter Links GC on Tuesday. The team plays its final regular season match on Tuesday, March 4.
TGL schedule
Feb. 24
Los Angeles Golf Club vs. New York Golf Club, 5 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 and ESPN+
Atlanta Drive GC vs. Boston Common Golf, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+
Feb. 25
The Bay Golf Club vs. Jupiter Links Golf Club, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+
March 3
The Bay Golf Club vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+
New York Golf Club vs. Boston Common Golf, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+
March 4
Jupiter Links Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+
TGL Standings
The Bay Golf Club overtook the Los Angeles Golf Club for the top spot in the SoFi Cup standings with two wins last week. Only the top four teams in the standings qualify for the playoffs.
*Before Feb. 24 matches
The Bay Golf Club, 6 points
Los Angeles Golf Club, 5 points
Atlanta Drive GC, 4 points
New York Golf Club, 2 points
Jupiter Links GC, 2 points
Boston Common Golf, 1 point
TGL format
TGL pits two teams of three players against each other in a mix of simulator and traditional golf. Players tee off from a mat into a 64-by-53-foot screen. There are fairways, rough and sand surfaces to hit from, as well. When the ball lands about 50 yards away from the pin, players transition to the ‘Green Zone,’ a 3,800-square-foot green that can be adjusted for variety on each hole. To increase the pressure, a shot clock is set for 40 seconds; any violation of this time limit results in a one-stroke penalty.
The teams play nine holes of 3-on-3, alternate shot golf. Then, the three members of each team will each play two holes of head-to-head match play with each hole worth one point. If they remain tied, the match goes to an overtime, closest-to-the-pin competition. The overtime continues until one team has the two closest shots.
Teams are awarded two points in the standings for a win, one point for an overtime loss and no points for a loss. The top four teams advance to the TGL semifinals.
How to watch TGL: TV, time for Rory McIlroy match
Date: Monday, Feb. 25
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Center (Palm Gardens, Florida)
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Watch TGL action with Fubo
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